Kaya of the Haruta Clan Friend or Enemy?
by Skye410
Summary: Kaya is the sole survivor of the Haruta clan that was wiped out by an organisation known as the Akatsuki. They told her that when she was older and stronger, they would re-meet and fight. But wat will happen when she has no other choice but turn to them?
1. Chapter 1

"Okay class, today we're going to review the Clone Jutsu."

_Aw man, we've done this already!!!_ Kaya thought, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. _I think I might skip this one_.

"Kiba, you first," Iruka said and a boy wearing a gray jacket with fur on the hood and a puppy on his head got up and walked out the front of the classroom.

"Uh.... Iruka-sensei?"

"What is it now, Naruto?" Iruka sighed.

Naruto, a blond haired kid with orange pants and jacket, pointed to an open window and everyone saw Kaya running away from the Academy.

Iruka growled. "Not again! Kiba, you can sit down for now. Everyone behave while I go get Kaya back."

Iruka ran out the door and everybody started talking.

Kaya ran out of the Academy gates and into the village. She had long black hair, a plain black shirt with short sleeves, brown pants, a kunai pocket on her right leg and a small shuriken pocket on her waist on the left side.

_So what trouble am I causing today?_ She asked herself with a smile and stopped when she found a bucket. She picked it up and filled it with water. She jumped onto a roof and jumped from rooftop to rooftop until she saw a ninja that she always annoyed.

She tipped the water out of the bucket and watched as the ninja was soaked. He looked up and saw Kaya laughing her head off. He clenched his fists and disappeared.

Kaya stopped laughing and looked around. "Where did he go?"

"Right here."

Kaya jumped up and turned around. The Jonin ninja was standing right in front of her and he adjusted his dark glasses. "Kaya what mischief are you up to today?"

Kaya was about to reply when she heard a voice.

"Ebisu, grab her!"

Kaya looked at Iruka down on the ground before turning back to Ebisu. She waved at him and when he went to grab her, she jumped out of the way and bolted off, laughing.

Iruka growled and ran after her.

"They'll never catch me!" she said to herself with a smile, stopping to catch her breath.

"Oh yeah?"

Kaya spun around and backed away, but she tripped over some wooden boxes and fell to the ground. "Mezuki-sensei, you spoil everything!"

"You're supposed to be in class, Kaya," Mezuki replied.

"But the class is boring!" Kaya complained, picking herself up. "We're reviewing the Clone Jutsu and I've done it a thousand times already!"

"A thousand times?"

"Well I lost count at five, but who cares?! I know the Jutsu!"

"But you still need to be in class," Mezuki said and went to put a hand on her shoulder but she slapped it away and took off.

"Catch me if you can!" Kaya called over her shoulder.

Kaya kept running, now she had three Jonin ninja's after her. _What a record!_ She thought. _Last time it was only two_!

Kaya stopped on a small bridge and caught her breath, looking into the water.

"We've got you now, Kaya."

Kaya looked to one end of the bridge, Iruka was there. She looked to the other side, Ebisu was there. She looked behind her, Mezuki was there.

_Damn... wait a second! I know a Jutsu that can get me out of here_! She thought and made a hand-sign. "Bird Transformation Jutsu!"

Kaya turned into a small bird and she jumped up and begun to fly away, but unfortunately, she was caught in a net by another Jonin, one with white-silver hair and a book in his other hand, he also had the village bandanna on his forehead but it was crossed over his left eye and he had a scarf that covered his neck, mouth and nose.

He jumped down from the top of the bridge and took Kaya out of the net by the neck. When she transformed back into herself, he was holding the back of her shirt.

"Four ninja's!" she exclaimed. "Now that _is_ a record!"

Kaya grinned innocently but when she tried to escape, the Jonin pulled her back.

"I'm definitely caught now aren't I?" Kaya asked, looking at Iruka, he nodded. "Damn."

Iruka took Kaya from the Jonin Kaya didn't know and dragged her back to the Academy.

"What'd you have to tie me up for?!?!?!"

Kaya was sitting on the ground at the front of the class, tied up so she couldn't even stand up.

"So you can't run away again," Iruka replied.

"Damn it," Kaya mumbled and looked around the room. "Alright, who told on me?!"

Basically everyone pointed at Naruto. Kaya glared at him and he looked at her nervously.

"Iruka-sensei you can untie me now," Kaya said after a while. "I won't run away again."

Iruka looked at her and sighed. "Okay." He untied her and she stood up. "Go back to your seat."

Kaya stretched before walking back over to her seat by the window next to a guy named Shikamaru.

"Alright everybody," Iruka said. "The graduation exam is in two days, you'd better be ready."

Kaya heard Shikamaru sigh. "What a drag."

"You think everything is a drag," Kaya said to him. "Lighten up will ya."

Shikamaru looked at her and sighed.

Kaya rolled her eyes, he was the laziest kid at the Academy.

"Hi, Sasuke."

Kaya looked over and saw Ino talking to Sasuke, a guy with black hair, a blue shirt and white pants with a kunai pocket on his right leg and a shuriken pocket on the left side of his waist. He was kind of nice, but he didn't talk much and he didn't really take much interest in the girls that continuously flirted with him. He was also one of the best students in the Academy. Kaya was somewhere in between.

"Do you wanna do something together later?" Ino asked him.

"No thanks," Sasuke replied, not even looking at her.

Ino looked a little put down and she sat back on her seat properly, she was sitting behind him.

"I don't know why the girls like him so much," Shikamaru said.

"Me either," Kaya replied. "Just about all the girls in the Academy want to go out with him."

Kaya noticed Naruto glaring at Sasuke, she knew that the blond haired kid didn't like him, and Sasuke didn't like Naruto either. She wondered what would happen if they got put on the same squad when they graduated. But then again, she doubted that Naruto would graduate, considering he had the lowest scores in the Academy.

The day dragged on and the class was finally let out for the day.

"Kaya, you will be staying back until you learn your lesson. You can't go home until you clean up this whole classroom," Iruka said.

"Fine," Kaya mumbled. "It's not like I've got anybody at home waiting for me."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at Kaya. She wasn't from the Leaf Village, although she was born in the same region. She was born into the Haruta Clan. When she was 5, her entire Clan was destroyed by a group of ninja. Her friends and family were killed, she was the only survivor. She had come to the Leaf Village after she escaped from the group of ninja and she had been in hospital for a week. She lived alone so she didn't care whether she was kept back until late or not. Sasuke and Naruto were the same. Naruto's parents died when he was a baby and he grew up alone. Sasuke's Clan was destroyed, just like Kaya's. Only his Clan, the Uchiha Clan, was destroyed by one person. Sasuke was the only survivor. In that way, Kaya kind of related to him. He came to the village after his Clan was destroyed and he lived alone to.

The class left the room and they went home, Kaya stayed back and got out a broom to start cleaning. Iruka sat at his desk and watched.

"Kaya, why do you constantly run off from classes and cause trouble for everyone?" he asked.

"Because the Academy is boring!" Kaya replied. "All we do is learn how things work and do simple Jutsu's! I hate it! I want to be a ninja and go on ninja missions!"

"You have to graduate first!" Iruka said. "Look, Kaya, I know it must be hard without your parents around, but..."

"But what?" Kaya growled. "They're never gonna _be_ around because they're dead maybe!? Is that what you're saying?!"

"No, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I said it must be hard, but you still need to be a good student and try to get good grades to graduate. That's what I was going to say."

Kaya growled and clenched her fists on the broom. "If that's what you were going to say then you shouldn't have said it!"

"Kaya, I know you want to resurrect your Clan but you won't be able to revive your family or friends. They're gone- Kaya where are you going?!"

Kaya had dropped the broom and was at the door. "Going home," she replied. "I don't want to hear what you have to say about my Clan."

Kaya walked out the door and left the Academy. She had her hands in her pockets and she slowly walked out into the village.

"You know, you're worse than Naruto when it comes to getting into trouble."

Kaya looked up and saw Sasuke leaning against a tree. He walked out of the shade and over to her.

"Yeah well I just don't like the Academy, that's all," Kaya replied.

Sasuke shrugged. "But I reckon you didn't finish cleaning the classroom."

"I didn't start," Kaya growled. "Iruka said some things and I walked out."

"What kind of things?"

Kaya looked at him for a moment. "Nothing, forget it."

"It was about your Clan, huh?"

Kaya nodded. "He said I wouldn't be able to bring them back. But that won't stop me from avenging my Clan."

"Who did destroy your Clan anyway?" Sasuke asked and they started walking together.

"A group of ninja," Kaya replied. "They always wore black robes with some red symbol thing all over it. They call themselves the Akatsuki."

Sasuke looked at her with surprise in his eyes. "The Akatsuki?!"

"Yeah, have you heard of them?"

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "One of them destroyed my Clan."

"Which one?"

Sasuke looked at her. "Don't worry about it. It's not important. I'll see you round, later."

Kaya shrugged and watched Sasuke walk off, she wondered why he didn't want to talk about it.

"I thought you didn't like Sasuke."

Kaya turned around and saw Sakura, one of the girls that kinda got on her nerves a lot. She rolled her eyes, making sure Sakura didn't see, and walked over to her. "I don't. He just started talking to me."

"Don't be ridiculous! Sasuke never starts conversations!"

"Yeah, and he doesn't really talk much either," Kaya said. "But hey, he was talking quite a bit."

Sakura growled but grinned. "Sorry but I'd better get home. My parents would be getting worried by now. But you don't have any parents so I guess you're allowed to stay out all you want."

Kaya clenched her fists. "That's it!" She swung a fist forward, aiming for Sakura's face. She was gonna show that pink-haired girl that she wasn't gonna take her crap.

Kaya's punch was blocked. "Usually someone is smart enough to ignore the taunts of others."

Kaya looked up at the Jonin ninja that had caught her in a net earlier today, he had grabbed her fist and he was standing in front of Sakura.

Kaya growled and Sakura looked passed the Jonin and poked her tongue out at Kaya.

Kaya shook her head with anger. "That's it Sakura, I'm gonna demolish you!" She tried to pull her hand free of the ninja's grip but he didn't let her go. "Hey! Let go of me!"

The Jonin didn't let her go.

"I said, let me go!" Kaya growled and tried to pull her hand free again. He let her go. Kaya fell backwards onto the ground and Sakura nearly laughed.

"Sakura, I suggest you leave," the Jonin said and Sakura looked at him before nodding and leaving, casting a mocking glance at Kaya. Kaya threw a threatening stare back at her.

"Kaya, you need to stop getting into trouble," the Jonin said putting out a hand. "Here, I'll help you up."

Kaya looked at the hand and put her own hand up. But instead of taking his hand, she slapped it away and got up herself.

"Besides laughing a lot when you're in trouble, you do have a temper," the Jonin observed.

"You _just_ figured that out?" Kaya rolled her eyes. "Clap, clap. I should give you a medal."

The Jonin grabbed her chin and made her face him. "Watch what you say to a Jonin, kid."

"Make me," she growled and took her chin back. "I'm outta here."

"You won't get far with that attitude," the Jonin said.

Kaya put a hand up as she walked away. "Thanks for the advice. I might use it one day."

"Hopeless kid," the Jonin sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, Kaya, get up!"

"I'm sick."

"You don't even look sick."

"I'm sick."

"You don't even sound sick."

"I'm sick."

Iruka put a hand on her forehead. "You don't have a temperature."

"I'm sick!"

Iruka sighed. "You are not, now get up!" He grabbed her arm and picked her up out of her bed and was about to drag her out but she turned into a log. Iruka growled and looked at the window where Kaya was sitting and she cracked up laughing.

"Hahaha! You fell for my Substitution Jutsu!"

"Very funny, Kaya," Iruka growled.

"Yeah I know!" Kaya laughed, having to hold her stomach. "Iruka-sensei you totally fell- Ah!"

Kaya was laughing so hard that she fell off the window sill.

Iruka walked to the window and looked down onto the ground at Kaya, she was lying on her back and she was still laughing. _Geez, she falls off a three story window sill and you'd expect her to be in pain, not laughing like nothing happened,_ He thought.

He jumped down beside her but she turned into another log.

"Haha! Tricked you again, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka looked up and saw Kaya on the balcony under the window, laughing.

"Stop joking around!" Iruka growled. "You should be at the Academy already!"

Kaya couldn't stop herself from laughing, she leaned back but accidentally fell off the balcony. She lay on her back for a few moments. "That hurt."

"Let me guess, this is just another silly trick?"

"Nope, it's me. And now I think I can't get up."

"Well at least try to get up."

Kaya put her arms up and waved them around, not trying to get up. Eventually she put her arms down. "I'm comfy here."

"Get up!" Iruka growled and Kaya jumped up quickly. "Go to the Academy."

"Fine," Kaya grumbled and dragged her feet.

"NOW!"

"Alright I'm going, I'm going!" Kaya said and she started running. She reached the Academy and walked through the building to her classroom. She walked in and saw Iruka at his desk.

"You're late again, Kaya," he said.

"Wait... you were just.. I mean.. how did you?" Kaya said. He was just over at her house and she ran here. How did he beat her?

"Go to your seat."

Kaya sighed and went to sit next to Shikamaru, but someone was sitting in her seat.

"Oh yeah, there's been a change of seating," Iruka said. "If you had of come early instead of pretending to be sick and joking around by falling out your window you would have known. You'll be sitting next to Sasuke until tomorrow at your graduation exam."

Kaya looked over to Sasuke and shrugged before walking over and sitting beside him.

"Sakura and Ino are late as well," Iruka said. "One of them will have to it next to Kiba, and one of them will have to sit on the other side of Sasuke."

Kaya looked at Sasuke, there was a slight bit of disappointment in his eyes.

"I won!"

Everyone turned and looked at Sakura and Ino, they were panting.

"Sakura, Ino," Iruka said. "The seating plan has changed. One of you can sit next to Sasuke and the other can sit next to Kiba."

"Well I won so I get to sit next to Sasuke!" Ino said.

"No way! I got here first!" Sakura growled. "I'm sitting next to Sasuke!"

"Just one of you sit down," Sasuke said, making them stop arguing. "You're giving me a headache."

"Oh, we're so sorry, Sasuke!" Ino and Sakura said, Kaya rolled her eyes.

"Lovesick puppies!" she murmured under her breath. She looked at Sasuke when she heard him laugh a little, he had heard her.

"I should get to sit next to Sasuke!" Ino growled.

"No, I should-"

"Just sit down somewhere!" Kaya growled. "It's only for one day!"

"Well why are you sitting next to him?" Sakura challenged. "Do you like him as well?"

Kaya sighed and stood up, turning to face Sakura. "I ain't interested. Now instead of annoying the heck outta me, why don't you shut your trap and sit the hell down!!!"

Sakura and Ino looked at the angry gaze Kaya was giving them and Sakura sat next to Sasuke, Ino sat next to Kiba

Kaya finally sat down with a thump.

"Wow, you're the first girl who ain't interested in me," Sasuke said.

Kaya smiled at him. "Yeah well, you're pretty much just a friend in my eyes. Besides, what's the point of falling in love when all you're ever gonna do is fight and protect your village. There is none."

Sasuke smiled. "That makes sense. You're actually lot smarter than the other girls when it comes to stuff like that."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and did you really fall out your window?"

Kaya looked at her desk before looking back to Sasuke. "I was pretending to be sick but Iruka-sensei didn't believe me. He pulled me out of bed, but that me was in fact a log. I was sitting on the window sill, laughing. Then I fell off and used another Substitution Jutsu and sat on the balcony while Iruka-sensei jumped down to another me that was lying down. Then I was laughing so hard I fell off the balcony."

"You're really clumsy sometimes," Sasuke shook his head.

"I know," Kaya sighed. "But that's the fun of it, for now."

"What do you mean, 'for now'?"

"When I become a ninja I'm gonna train harder so I can avenge my Clan."

"You mean you're gonna fight all of the people who killed them?!"

"Yep."

"That's suicidal! Do you realize how many there are?"

"Uh.... no, I can't remember."

"I've heard that there's ten of them, but I only know one of them."

"You mean the one that destroyed your Clan?"

"Yes."

"What was his name?"

"I-I can't remember."

Kaya looked at Sasuke, she didn't understand why he wasn't telling her. She shrugged and tried to pay attention to the class.

"Okay everybody, today we'll review all about Chakra" Iruka said.

_Aw man!!!!_ Kaya thought. _This is boring!!!!!!!!_

"I really don't wanna do this," Kaya sighed under her breath.

"Then run off like you usually do," Sasuke said.

Kaya looked at him. _What did he just say?_

Sakura heard their little conversation and put her hand up. "Sensei! Kaya is planning on running off again!"

Iruka looked at Kaya, who was glaring at Sakura.

"I so totally hate you, Sakura!" Kaya hissed.

Sakura poked her tongue out. "That's what you get."

Kaya stood up and would have punched Sakura out, but Iruka grabbed her shoulder and forced her back into her seat.

Sakura giggled.

"Shut up, Forehead girl!" Kaya snapped.

Sakura stood up and growled, Kaya did the same, and Sasuke was caught in the middle staring at the front of the classroom as if nothing was going on. But he sighed to show he was paying attention.

"At least I'm not a brat like you!" Sakura growled.

"Stop it you two!" Iruka said.

"Well at least I don't have pink hair or a silly crush on Sasuke," Kaya said.

Sakura was silent for a moment. "At least _I_ have parents-"

"That's enough Sakura!"

Kaya and Sakura stopped and stared at Sasuke, his fists were clenched. "I don't have parents either, does that mean you're insulting me also?"

"No, never!" Sakura smiled. "I would never insult you, Sasuke."

"Then shut up."

Sakura looked shocked and sat back down without another word, Kaya also sat down.

"Kaya!"

Kaya looked up at Iruka. "Yes?"

"Would you quit causing trouble already!!!!!"

"But..... it's fun," Kaya whined, making everybody laugh.

Iruka sighed. "Kaya, instead of being a class clown and acting like you don't care, try focusing a little!"

"But I don't want to!" Kaya said. "I want to be a ninja so I can get stronger."

"Why do you want to get stronger?" a kid named Choji asked.

"So I can avenge my Clan and take down the Akatsuki!"

Iruka nearly jumped. "The Akatsuki?!?!"

Kaya smiled and nodded. "That's right."

"She says she's going to fight all of them," Sasuke said. "I told her she must be suicidal."

"I can take 'em on!" Kaya said.

"Not now you couldn't," Kiba laughed.

Kaya looked at him. "Give me a break! I'm still only at the Academy. When I'm a ninja everything will work out."

"How can you be so sure?" Hinata asked quietly, she was never a loud person.

"Because when I'm a ninja I won't stop training!" Kaya said, giving Hinata a thumbs up. "And when I've gotten a lot stronger, I'm gonna go after the Akatsuki!"

"You've got high hopes," Ino commented, a little unkindly. "I reckon you'd be hopeless."

Kaya glared at her.

"Speaking of hopeless," Shikamaru said. "Naruto is missing."

Everyone looked around the room, Naruto was really gone.

"He ran off," Iruka sighed. "I'll go find him."

Iruka disappeared and everyone started talking again.

"So, back to our argument earlier," Sakura said to Kaya.

"Just shut up will you," Kaya said. "You're boring."

"Boring?!?!" Sakura stood up, Kaya just sat there with her chin on her palm, not even looking at her. "Who are you calling boring?!"

"Uh.... you, in case you didn't realize that when I first said it."

Sakura clenched her fists. "You talk big, but I've never actually seen you fight."

Everyone's attention was drawn to Kaya.

"Now that you mention it," Ino said. "Sakura's right."

Sakura smiled. "So if we've never seen you fight, how do we know it's not just all talk? How do we know you're not just some coward that cries for her Clan every night?"

A few moments passed and no one spoke. Then Kaya stood up. "You want to see me fight, huh?"

Everyone flinched at the seriousness in Kaya's voice.

Sakura nodded. "Right here, right now!"

"Okay, who am I fighting? Because I hope it's not a weakling like you-"

Kaya was punched in the face and sent flying to the front of the class, falling on her side.

"Ha! You didn't even see my attack!" Sakura smiled.

"Think again."

Kaya turned into a log and Sakura was a little stunned. She spun around and saw Kaya crouched on the desk behind her. Kaya lifted a fist and punched Sakura in the face, sending her right into the blackboard.

Everyone gasped and Kaya jumped, landing right in front of Sakura. She pink-haired girl got up and went to kick Kaya but her leg was grabbed and Kaya did a spin, throwing Sakura to the other end of the room, making her hit the wall.

Sakura disappeared and hit Kaya from behind. Kaya spun around whilst falling to the ground, reached for a kunai and threw it at Sakura.

Sakura just managed to dodge it and it hit the blackboard, Kaya fell to the ground. Sakura went to kick Kaya but the black-haired girl lifted her body up on her hands, did a spin and landed on her feet, facing Sakura with her fists up.

"Tai Jutsu," Sakura smiled.

"My specialty," Kaya smiled back and when Sakura went to punch her, she moved so fast that she was almost invisible. Kaya turned to her side and shouldered Sakura in the back, throwing her to the ground. Tai Jutsu was hand to hand combat, Kaya preferred it better than the rest of the battle techniques, although she loved using her Jutsu's to defeat her enemies.

Sakura stood up slowly and Kaya grabbed her by the neck, picking her off the ground. "Still think I'm weak? Do you still think I'm a coward that doesn't know how to fight?"

Sakura grabbed Kaya's hand trying to get free. "No."

"I didn't think so," Kaya smiled and threw Sakura to the side.

"Kaya, what are you doing?!"

Kaya looked to where she threw Sakura, Iruka was there, holding her in his arms, Naruto beside him.

"Ask her," Kaya said, pointing to Sakura. "She started it."

Iruka growled. "Kaya, with that attitude I might just begin to think about not letting you pass to the Genin ranks!"

Kaya's eyes widened. "What?!?!"

"You heard me."

"This is crap!" Kaya growled. "You can't fail me just because I have a bit of an attitude!"

"I can if I want to."

Kaya glared at him and walked to the window.

"The window is locked, Kaya," Iruka said. "You're not getting out."

"That's what you think," Kaya sighed and made hand-signs. "Fire style, Fireball Jutsu."

"Kaya stop!" Iruka said

Kaya put a hand over her mouth and blew out her air, causing fire to appear and burn through the window.

"Kaya, get back here!"

Kaya looked at him for a few moments before jumping out the window and running off.

"Iruka-sensei?" Kiba said. "Were you serious? Would you really fail Kaya because of her attitude?"

"No, I can't do that," Iruka sighed.

"Then why say it?" Shino asked. "It will only get her more mad if you say things like that."

"Well everyone makes mistakes some time or another," Sasuke sighed. "Would you like me to go get her, Iruka-sensei?"

"Please do," Iruka replied.

Sasuke got up and jumped out the window and ran off to go catch her.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaya sat down and looked out onto the lake. She liked sitting her, it helped her think.

_He couldn't do that!_ She thought. _He wouldn't! Would he?_

Kaya heard footsteps and she looked over her shoulder. "Why are you out of class?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sasuke said. "You know Iruka-sensei was only joking around. He wants you to behave instead of running around like Naruto does. You should have seen what Naruto did to the Hokage faces."

Kaya looked up, on a high cliff over the Leaf Village was the four Hokage's faces carved out in the cliff. She didn't see anything wrong in particular. "What did Naruto do exactly?"

"He graffitied the Hokage faces with paint, and now he has to clean it all up."

Kaya laughed a little. "I almost feel sorry for the guy."

Sasuke smiled.

"So, why are you out of class?" Kaya asked him again.

"Iruka-sensei sent me to bring you back," Sasuke replied.

"Aw man!" Kaya complained. "I hate it at the Academy!"

"I know you do," Sasuke said, sitting down beside her. "But just think, tomorrow you can pass into the Genin ranks."

"Yeah," Kaya replied. "I can't wait to become a ninja."

"You're really keen on avenging your Clan."

Kaya didn't say anything for a few moments. Then she looked down into the water. "I wasn't even at the village when it happened."

Sasuke looked at her. "Where were you then?"

"I was out in the woods. My father bought me a couple of kunai's and I thought I could practice with them. When I came back after realizing it was getting dark, I saw people of my Clan, they were dead."

**8 years ago.**

"Wow! Thanks so much father!" Kaya exclaimed. "Can I go practice with these? To see if I can use them properly?"

"Sure," her father smiled. "But be careful you don't hurt yourself. And be back before dark."

Kaya nodded and ran out of the village and into the woods with her new kunai's. She stopped at a small clearing where she always practiced her fighting abilities.

She had been out all day, throwing her kunai's at targets and trying to split open small bits of wood. She looked up at the night sky, it was getting dark. She was supposed to be home by now!

Kaya picked up all her kunai's and ran through the forest back to her village.

She ran through the village gates and stopped, staring at three lifeless bodies. She walked over to them, they were friends of her parents. She crouched down and looked at all the blood and she looked into their eyes. Their gazes had been struck with fear before they died.

Kaya shivered, not just from the cold breeze, but because people lying on the ground dead wasn't a normal everyday thing. She closed their eyes and stood up, slowly walking around the village, she was scared.

She walked around a corner and saw her friend, Zora, he was dead to. His eyes were the same as the other people. She crouched beside him. "Zora, you were a great friend to me. I hope you find peace, wherever you're going now," she murmured and closed his eyes.

She stood up and ran towards her home, things were going terribly wrong, and she was scared her mother and father had suffered the same fate.

She reached her home and came to the front door, but she stopped when she heard voices.

"Where is she?!" a stranger's voice demanded. He sounded angry, yet his tone was flat almost as if he didn't care.

"Who?!" Kaya heard her mother whimper.

"You know 'who'," the guy's voice said again. "Tell us where we can find the demon child."

"She's not a demon!" Kaya's father growled. "She's an ordinary girl."

"If you say so," another voice growled, he actually sounded fiercely angry. "But tell us where she is and we might spare your lives."

Kaya nearly froze with shock. They were looking for her? Who were they?

She peered through the door and saw her mother and father cowering under a man wearing a black robe with a red symbol all over it. He had orange hair and his face was hidden in the shadows.

She noticed one of the strangers look over his shoulder to the door and she hid, hoping he didn't see her.

"Tell us where to find the girl!" the orange-haired guy growled.

"She's in the forest training!" Kaya's mother cried out.

"Thank you," he replied. "Kisame, finish them."

Kaya peered through the door again and saw a guy wearing the same robes as the orange-haired guy, he lifted a sword like thing that was wrapped with bandages. He looked like a fish or snake kind of guy with blue skin.

"You said you would spare us!" Kaya's father said.

"Sorry, deals expire all the time," the orange-haired guy smiled and the guy known to be Kisame swung down his sword and Kaya saw blood rise up from the throats of her parents and hit the floor. A few drops escaped through the door and hit Kaya's cheek. She gave a small yelp but shut her mouth quickly.

"Ah, it seems the girl has come to us," came the flat-toned guy's voice and all ten of the strangers walked to the door.

Kaya stepped backwards but tripped over on a stone and fell to the ground. The door opened and the people stepped out.

"Ah, the demon girl," the orange-haired guy said. "My name is Pain, what's your name?"

Kaya didn't reply.

"Are you scared of us because we killed your parents?" he smiled. "Poor child, you're the only one left of your Clan." He didn't sound like he felt sorry for her.

"Why did you kill everybody?" Kaya asked, her voice shaky although she summoned up her courage to speak.

"To find you," the guy with the flat-toned voice said. He had long black hair tied up in a ponytail and he wore the black robe with the red symbols just like all the others.

"Why?" Kaya asked.

"Because you're special," Pain said. "Very special."

"So you had to kill my friends and family just to find me," Kaya murmured, her voice no longer shaky, but tight with grief and fury.

Pain smiled. "Showing some courage, eh? We could have just come to find you but, well that wouldn't have been any fun now would it?"

"You call killing in cold-blood _fun_!?!?" Kaya growled, standing up. "You killed my parents, you killed my best friend! You killed my entire Clan, you bastards!"

"Don't talk to us like that!" Pain growled. "Or we'll kill you to!"

Kaya glared at him and suddenly felt some sort of power flow through her body and she felt her Chakra going berserk! Her Chakra became visible, it was orange and black and her hair was thrown all over the place. The people stepped back, surprised by how much was happening in front of them caused by a five-year-old.

"Is this the first death you've ever seen?" Kisame laughed. "This is what it means to be a ninja."

"Shut... UP!" Kaya snarled and her eyes turned from blue to red. She looked up at them, her voice became stronger and fiercer. "I'M GONNA _KILL_ YOU!!!!!!!"

"Kisame, you take care of her," Pain said and the blue-guy nodded and ran at her.

Kaya jumped out of the way of his sword as it slammed against the ground where she had been heartbeats before and she did a couple spins before landing on her hands and feet, crouched like an animal. She got up and ran for Kisame and punched him in the face, sending him flying into the small pond.

Pain was shocked. "Sasori."

Sasori was a guy with red hair and he threw metal threads at Kaya. She dodged out of the way but the threads wrapped around her and they tightened up.

Pain looked at Kaya, her eyes shining red, her whole body shaking with fury.

"I got her," Sasori smiled.

"Don't get too over-confident," the guy with the flat-tone said.

"What do you mean?" Sasori asked but he was thrown backwards as Kaya snapped the threads and punched him in the gut.

Kaya glared at the guy with the ponytail, his eyes were red with three small symbols that looked like half on the Yin Yang sign. "You're next," she growled and took one step before racing towards him.

The guy stepped back and made some hand-signs. Kaya stopped and jumped back, cautious.

The guy was about to run at her but Pain called him back.

"Pain, what is it?" he asked.

"Wait a second," Pain replied and walked over to her. She growled at him and stepped back but he grabbed her shoulders. "I won't hurt you."

Kaya relaxed a little. Pain lifted the bottom of her shirt and saw an imprint on her stomach. He nodded and put a hand on her cheek. "We will leave her until she is older," he said to his followers.

"But, what if she restores her Clan before then-"

"She won't," Pain looked at her. Kaya's eyes turned blue again and she was panting, holding her heart, she was covered in dirt and she had scratches on her arms. "We will leave her."

Kaya looked at him with anger in her eyes.

"We will fight again one day," Pain said to Kaya.

Kaya nodded. "And then I will kill you for what you did to my Clan."

Pain smiled. "Remember, if you do not come after us, we will come after you when you are ready. Know us as the Akatsuki." Pain turned to his followers. "Let's go."

Pain and the rest of the group took off and left the village. Kaya slowly walked over to the door and went inside the house. She looked down at her dead parents, covered in blood from a slice to the neck. She fell to her knees, her fists clenched. "Forgive me mother, father. If I was stronger I would have been able to save you. But I promise that I will avenge the Clan. I promise that I will bring down every last member of the Akatsuki when I am stronger."

Kaya got up and walked out, then she left the village, she couldn't stay there. She had to find another village in her region.

She had walked for a few days non-stop and she was exhausted, hungry and freezing. Up ahead she saw giant gates and she walked a little further before her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the ground in front of the village guards. She woke up a week later in hospital at the Leaf Village. From then on, she had stayed at the village and went to the Academy to train as a ninja so that one day she could avenge her Clan. That was her goal, and nothing was going to prevent her dream from becoming a reality.


	4. Chapter 4

"So you see, Sasuke," Kaya said. "That's why I need to get stronger and avenge my Clan."

"I understand why you want to avenge your Clan," Sasuke said. "I am going to avenge my Clan to."

"Sasuke, tell me. Who destroyed your Clan?" Kaya asked. "I know you know who did it."

Sasuke looked at her. "It was Itachi."

"And who's Itachi?"

"Itachi is the one with the flat-tone voice and the ponytail."

"Oh, him. The one with the Sharingan eyes."

"You know about the Sharingan?"

"Yeah of course," Kaya smiled. "I don't always skip classes. But what I don't understand is that Sharingan is a very uncommon gift that is only formed in an Uchiha.. Why would he have the eyes of Sharingan if he's not an Uchiha?"

Sasuke didn't reply, he didn't want to tell her.

Kaya looked at Sasuke and was about to say something.

Kaya felt a hand on her right shoulder and a hand grabbed Sasuke's left shoulder. "So what's happening here? Shouldn't you youngsters be at the Academy?"

Kaya looked over her shoulder to a smiling girl with black hair and blue streaks.

"Who are you?" Kaya asked.

"Me? I'm Katana Kasuma. Who are you?"

"Wait... _you're_ Katana?" Sasuke said. "The girl who causes trouble for her sensei Ebisu?"

"Ebisu is you're sensei?!?!?!" Kaya exclaimed. "I love annoying the hell out of that guy!"

"Yes I'm Katana and yes Ebisu is my sensei," she smiled.

"Gee, I expected more from you," Sasuke said.

"What was that?" Katana growled.

"Nothing," Sasuke said. "Just that I didn't expect you to have a smug expression like Naruto."

**WHACK**!

"What was that for?!?!" Kaya exclaimed, looking at Sasuke who was holding the back of his head.

"You heard what he said," Katana growled. "He said I'm just like Naruto."

"And that's a problem..... why?" Kaya said.

Katana shook her head. "He deserved it anyway."

"Yeah right!" Sasuke growled. "Stop hitting people or you might get into trouble one day."

"Who's gonna make me?" Katana said.

"Are you challenging me?" Sasuke said, standing up.

Katana stood up to meet him. "You bet!"

Kaya jumped up. "Sasuke we should be getting back to the Academy."

"Later," Sasuke growled. "She's gonna get her fight."

"But Sasuke, she's a Genin, look at her bandanna."

Kaya pointed to the bandanna on Katana's forehead. It was a blue material with a bit of metal at the front showing the symbol of the region.

"You don't know how well she fights," Kaya added.

"Well if she fights as much as she talks then she could probably be a challenge," Sasuke replied. "But I'll never know."

Kaya shook her head and grabbed his arm. "Iruka-sensei will get mad if you go picking a fight with a Genin!"

Sasuke shook her hand off. "Let me fight her and we'll go back to the Academy."

Kaya shrugged. "Take your time then."

Kaya went and sat out of the way so she wouldn't get caught in the fight.

She watched as both Sasuke and the Genin got ready to fight. Iruka was gonna be so mad at Sasuke. She didn't see why Katana had to hit him, or why Sasuke had to pick a fight with her. Either way, she was still gonna be in trouble to.

They started their fight and it begun with Tai Jutsu, hand to hand combat. Katana got a few punches in but most of them were blocked. Sasuke got her in the stomach but she rebounded and punched him in the face. She went to punch him in the face again but Sasuke grabbed her fist, spun and threw her in the lake.

_Sasuke you copy cat!_ Kaya thought. _I did that to Sakura a little while ago_.

Kaya watched the water, and suddenly, two shurikens came flying out at Sasuke. He dodged the first one but the other cut his shoulder, not deep, just a scratch.

Katana jumped out of the water, soaking wet, and looking very angry.

She made a few hand-signs. "Water style, Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Water rose up from the lake and Kaya caught a glimpse of eyes. The water took the shape of a dragon, Sasuke was in trouble.

The water dragon came crashing down to Sasuke and hit. Sasuke was thrown back and landed next to Kaya.

"Ow!"

"I told you not to fight her," Kaya sighed. "But as usual you're too stubborn to listen."

"Yeah yeah, I got this," Sasuke growled and stood up, walking over to the dock again, making hand-signs. "Fire style, Fireball Jutsu!"

Kaya watched as a giant ball of fire came from Sasuke's mouth and hit Katana.

Katana fell to her knees, panting. She reached for her kunai pocket and pulled out a kunai, throwing it at Sasuke.

"Katana, I hope you have a good reason for skipping training again."

Katana saw her kunai in between her sensei's index and middle finger. He was standing in front of a shocked Sasuke.

"Damn," Katana mumbled. "Sorry Ebisu-sensei."

"I know you know you don't mean that," Ebisu said. "You will be doing extra training as punishment."

Kaya disappeared for a few moments.

"How did you get here so fast?" Sasuke asked him.

"You don't need to know that," Ebisu replied. "And by the way, I never expected one of the Academy's top students skipping class and picking a fight with a Genin."

"I didn't start it," Sasuke mumbled.

"I think you should go back to the Academy," Ebisu said. "And take Kaya with you."

Sasuke nodded and turned around. "It would help if she didn't take off somewhere."

Ebisu turned around. "Where did she go now?"

Suddenly, all three of them looked up at the screech of a bird and they saw an eagle carrying a bucket in its talons.

"Not more water," Ebisu sighed.

_Who said it was water_? Kaya thought, looking at what she was carrying in the bucket. _He won't get this off for at least a week. I have Naruto to thank for the supplies._

"Kaya, what are you up to now?" Sasuke said.

"Nothing much," Kaya replied. "Just a delivery for Pervy-sensei."

Katana tilted her head and Kaya dropped the bucket of pink paint. It turned upside down and tipped all over Ebisu.

"What is this?!" Ebisu shouted.

Kaya flew down and landed on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's called pink paint. And it kind of suits you to. What do you think, Katana?"

Katana looked like she was ready to throw up but instead she was holding her stomach, trying desperately not to crack up laughing, but failed and fell backwards into the lake.

"Kaya!" Ebisu growled. "What is the meaning of this!?!?!"

"To see what you look like in pink before I bought you a pink dress," Kaya said and jumped from Sasuke's shoulder, turning back into herself and touched the ground, smiling with a thumbs up. "Pink really is your color. You never know Pervy-sensei, the ladies might go crazy over you."

"Back to the Academy!" Ebisu growled. "Both of you!"

"Can I still buy you that dress?" Kaya asked.

"No!"

"Fine," Kaya grumbled and was about to turn around. "Oh yeah, in case I didn't tell you, that paint doesn't come off for at least a week-"

"KAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Run!" Kaya said to Sasuke, turning him around and they bolted off with Ebisu chasing after them.

Katana was floating in the water, still laughing. "Wait a second..." she said and looked around. "Where did everybody go?!"

Kaya and Sasuke ran into the classroom and slammed the door shut, panting.

"Kaya, Sasuke, glad to see you back to late," Iruka said. "Who are you running from this time?"

Kaya smiled and put her hands up. "Okay everyone, we have a surprise for you! My doing really, Sasuke was just watching."

"What did you do?" Iruka asked.

Kaya jumped and bolted to the back of the classroom when she heard the door open. "Surprise everybody!" she said, pointing at Ebisu. "Doesn't pink just totally suit his style?"

Everyone blinked at Ebisu for a few seconds before everyone, besides Sakura, cracked up laughing extremely loud. Kaya was laughing so hard she fell over on her back, holding her stomach.

When everybody settled down, Kaya stood up again. "Oh and Sakura, now he looks just like you! He can be your long lost twin!"

Everyone cracked up laughing again, even Sasuke couldn't help but laugh.

Sakura clenched her fists and stood up turning to face Kaya.

Kaya tilted her head. "Why are you so mad? Shouldn't you be greeting your long lost twin?"

Sakura threw a punch at Kaya but Kaya merely grabbed her fist and threw her aside. "Was that directed at me?"

Kaya looked down at Sakura.

"Hi everybody!!!!!"

Kaya turned around and looked at the hyperactive Genin who just jumped through the window that she had burned down a little while ago. Sasuke growled and rolled his eyes.

"Katana, get to the training field and meet up with your squad!" Ebisu growled.

"But.... Pervy-sensei! All we're doing is survival training, I did it already!"

"No, you didn't do it."

"Yes I did, you set the task and I finished it the quickest."

"You didn't even start it, you ran back to the village because you were getting hungry."

Katana shrugged. "I still did it. I survived getting to the village without you catching me."

Kaya shook her head with a smile. But then Kaya was punched in the face and she hit the ground on the other side of the classroom.

"Sakura give it up!" Kaya laughed and turned into a log.

"Where did you go?!" Sakura shouted.

"Behind you."

Sakura spun around, but Kaya wasn't there.

"You've got to be quicker."

Sakura looked up, no Kaya. She looked all around the room, Kaya was nowhere.

"You can't see me, that's true. But have you tried looking down?"

Sakura looked down and a hand came out of the floor and grabbed her leg. Sakura was then pulled into the floor and Kaya appeared in the classroom, looking down at Sakura, only her head was above the ground.

"Whoa! How did you do that?!?!" Ino asked, standing up. "You were so fast!"

Kaya kept glaring at Sakura with a smile.

"Kaya, how did you move so fast?" Kiba asked.

"Because, I'm a member of the Haruta Clan. Incredible speed is something that comes only in the Haruta bloodline," Kaya said. "And when I'm older and stronger, I'll be as fast as my father was."

"And how fast was that?" Choji asked.

"Nearly four times faster than Sasuke."

Everyone looked shocked. Nobody was faster than Sasuke!

"Katana come on, we have training to do," Ebisu growled and walked out of the classroom. Katana sighed and followed her sensei.

"Kaya."

Kaya turned around and looked at Iruka. "Yes?"

"Get Sakura out of the floor please."

Kaya turned to Sakura and smiled. "Okay." She grabbed Sakura by the hair. "This might hurt just a little bit."

Sakura closed her eyes and Kaya pulled Sakura by the hair out of the ground. She let Sakura go and the pink-haired girl rubbed her head. "'This might hurt just a little bit', YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kaya shrugged. "I was told to get you out of the ground that you're going to step-"

Sakura took a step forward and her foot landed in the hole.

"In," Kaya finished with a sigh before going to sit next to Sasuke.

"Okay everyone, settle down," Iruka said. "Now tomorrow is your graduation exam, I expect all of you to pass," he said, casting a glance at Naruto. Then he looked at Kaya. "When you graduate, you'll be a ninja and go on missions with your squad and squad leader. But the road from there is hard, there'll be blood and pain, and you may even lose your lives."

Kaya was paying attention now.

"Some of you have paths that will lead you to become great ninja's," Iruka looked at Kaya and Sasuke. "But the village will always be your home, and all the ninja from this village will help you."

Kaya looked at her desk, her home would be with the Haruta Clan, but because of the Akatsuki, her home was with the Leaf Village. But she didn't need help from the Leaf Village, she was going to take down the Akatsuki alone, she was going to kill every one of them, starting with Kisame because he was the one who killed her parents. Then she was going to take down Pain, for ordering Kisame to kill them.

The class went on for a little bit and everyone was about to leave.

"Naruto."

Naruto looked at Iruka.

"You will be cleaning the paint from the Hokage faces until it's all gone."

Kaya shook her head, he got into trouble a little less than her.

She looked to her right, Sasuke was there.

"Sasuke?"

"Is it true? That incredible speed runs through your bloodline?"

"Yeah it's true," Kaya said. "My father was the fastest in the village."

"How do you know that you will be as fast as your father?"

"I don't, but I can only hope. All I can do is be the best ninja I can."

"But, when you told me about what happened to your Clan, you said that the Akatsuki would come after you if you didn't go after them. What if they come after you before you're strong enough?"

"I'll still fight."

Sasuke looked at her. "You'd still fight knowing that you'd have no chance of winning?!"

"No, I would fight, but knowing Pain, if he saw I wasn't strong enough to fight, he'd let me go again so I could achieve more power."

"That seems fair," Sasuke looked at the ground. "But why did Pain let you go in the first place? Why didn't he just kill you?"

"Because he believes I have a demon inside my body."

"Is it true?"

"I don't know!" Kaya growled but sighed. "Sorry, Sasuke. It's just... ever since that night, my goal has been to kill the members of the Akatsuki. I have never given much thought of whether or not I have a demon in my body."

Sasuke shrugged. "I have a goal just like you."

Kaya looked at him. "To kill the man who destroyed _your_ Clan?"

"Yes. I want to kill Itachi."

Kaya nodded. "He's all yours. I won't get in the way of your goal. After all... Pain is my main target, and then Kisame, Sasori and the others."

"You'll need to be careful when fighting he Akatsuki."

"Why?"

Sasuke was about to reply but a voice sounded from behind them and Kaya growled.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

"I'll see you around," Kaya waved to Sasuke before jumping up onto a roof and taking off, leaving the poor guy to put up with Sakura by himself.

Kaya jumped to the ground after a while and saw the Jonin ninja she didn't like. He spotted her and walked over. "Hello, Kaya."

"What do you want?" Kaya sighed.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he said making Kaya's eyes widen. "But you weren't supposed to be running from class and you shouldn't listen to the torments from others. You know Sakura likes getting on people's nerves."

"No, she just likes to get on _my_ nerves because she thinks I like Sasuke and she's jealous because he talks to me."

The ninja shrugged. "Just be glad you won't be on her squad."

"I am glad," Kaya smiled a little. "But who ever is on my squad better not slow me down, I'm gonna train hard all day every day."

The Jonin smiled, not that she could really tell because he had the scarf over his mouth. "Is avenging your Clan really that important?"

Kaya's gaze became absolutely serious. "I swore to avenge my Clan!" but she relaxed and spoke so softly that the Jonin nearly missed it. "Besides, I can't back down now."

"Why not?"

"Because when I'm stronger it's either I go after the Akatsuki or they come after me!" she growled and started to walk off.

The Jonin grabbed her shoulder. "The Akatsuki!?!?"

Kaya looked into his eye. "Yes. They destroyed my Clan."

"And you plan on fighting them!?"

"Yep. But I'm taking down Pain first, although he's the reason I'm still alive."

The Jonin looked concerned. "Pain let you live?"

Kaya nodded. "He was the one who said that when I was stronger we would fight again. Why?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, never mind." He let her go. _It is an extremely rare occasion that Pain, the cold-hearted person he is, would let someone live, defenseless or not. What is he up to_?

He saw the curious look from Kaya. "Go on, you should head home and get some rest. You're graduating tomorrow."

Kaya shrugged and walked away, but she didn't want to go home. She wanted to wander out of the village and out into the woods. But because it was getting dark, she wouldn't be allowed.

_Not a problem_. She thought and made hand-signs. _Bird Transformation Jutsu_!

Kaya turned into a small bird and flew into the air. She flew over the village gates to the south and landed on the ground, transforming into herself again.

"Who's there!?" she heard one of the guards call, they had heard her.

She got on her hands and knees and crawled away through the bushes, not being seen. When she was a fair distance away, she got up and ran deeper into the woods. She escaped the trees and walked up a little hill, sitting down and gazing out onto the Fire Region as far as she could see.

_It's so pretty_, she thought. _Too bad I couldn't be with my friends and family to see this_.

"Nice view, huh?"

Kaya jumped up and spun around, coming face-to-face with a tall guy with orange hair and wearing a black robe with red symbols on it. "Pain!" she exclaimed.

"Hello," he smiled. "Glad you remember me."

Kaya watched as Pain went and sat down, her heart was pounding. Where was the rest of the Akatsuki?

"Sit down," Pain said and Kaya hesitated. "I'm not here to fight you."

Kaya sat down, her muscles tensed, ready to get up and fight if it was a trick. "Where are your followers? Why are you here?"

"I came alone," Pain said. "I came to see how well you're doing."  
Kaya stared at him.

"You've grown quite a lot since we last spoke."

"It's been eight years," Kaya growled. But she didn't feel scared of him, and he was so relaxed she hardly thought of him as the person who ordered for her parents to be killed.

"What is your name by the way?" Pain asked, ignoring her tone. "I have always wanted to know."

"I'll tell you if you tell me something," Kaya said, thinking this was her opportunity to ask him about the so called 'demon'.

He looked at her. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you were after me eight years ago," she said. "And why you said I was a 'demon girl'."

"Ah, so you haven't been told," Pain smiled. "I knew the Third Hokage would want it be kept secret."

"So... are you going to tell me?" Kaya asked.

Pain nodded. "Have you heard of the Triple-Tailed Tiger?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei taught us about it one day. It was supposed to be a vile creature that tormented villages and attacked pretty much anything that stood in its way. Its eyes shone red and its claws glinted in the sunlight. Its black and orange fur was kept neat and clean and its three tails slashed out nearly quicker than the human eye could see. But something happened and it was never seen again. Iruka-sensei refused to tell us what happened to it."

"Well, the Triple-Tailed Tiger was such a monster, it had to be contained because it couldn't be killed. The people of the Fire Region needed the beast to be kept inside the body of a strong child so that it could never take control and make the region a living nightmare again."

"So...."

"That beast was put inside a baby girl born into the Haruta Clan," Pain looked at her. "That baby girl was you."

Kaya jumped up, her eyes wide with shock. "ME!?!?!?!?!?!"

"Calm down, kid," Pain said and stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Why me?" Kaya asked, forgetting that he was the enemy.

"Because you were the child of the head of the Haruta Clan," Pain replied. "You are believed to posses extraordinary powers."

"Is that why you came after me?"

"Yes, we thought that if we took down your Clan without you knowing, then we could pin the blame on someone else and allow you to grow up with the Akatsuki, that way you'd be a strong aspect to our group."

"But if you wanted me to grow up with the Akatsuki, why did you let me go? Why did you allow me to go free so that we could fight when I was stronger?"

Pain smiled and put a hand on her cheek. "You were weak, and you would have never forgotten what happened."

"That's true," Kaya sighed.

"So now that I've told you what you wanted to know, will you tell me your name?"

"My name is Kaya," she replied. "Kaya Haruta."

Pain smiled. "That's a nice name."

Kaya backed away a few steps, shaking her head. "Why are you here anyway? You couldn't have just come here to see how I've been going."

"You're not out of the Academy yet are you?"

"No. I become a Genin tomorrow if I graduate."

"Well, there is Chunin exams later on in the year, if you train hard then you will get to be a part of the exams with your squad."

"So, what's your point?"

"After the Chunin exams, you should be strong enough to face us."

"But what if I don't even graduate?! Iruka-sensei said he could fail me for having a bad attitude!"

"He can't do that, that's not the rules of the graduation test," Pain laughed. "He must just be messing with you to behave."

"That's what Sasuke said," Kaya murmured.

Pain looked curious for a second but shook his head. "But you'll pass your graduation, don't worry."

Kaya laughed nervously. "Yeah well but to graduate I need to perform the Clone Jutsu. I've tried it more than five times and I can't do it!"

Pain looked at her. Why don't I teach you a Jutsu that you will be able to use to graduate?"

Kaya stared at him for a moment. "Why do you want to help me?"

"So we can face one another sooner," Pain smiled. "Do you want to graduate or do you want to be stuck in the Academy for another year?"

Kaya sighed. "Okay, what's this Jutsu?"

"It's a forbidden Jutsu, it is called the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Kaya's eyes widened. A forbidden Jutsu! "Show me."

Pain made some hand-signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Kaya watched as smoke rose up and when it disappeared, there was at least ten more of Pain, clones.

"Is it that easy?" Kaya asked.

The clones disappeared and Pain smiled. "Give it a try."

Kaya nodded and tried to make the same hand-signs but she wasn't watching properly.

"Not like that!" Pain laughed and placed his hands over hers, allowing her to make the correct hand-signs.

"Oh..." Kaya said and Pain backed away. She focused. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Smoke rose up and Kaya saw clones of herself appear. "Wow!!! I couldn't even do the Clone Jutsu but I managed to do the Shadow Clone Jutsu?!"

Pain smiled. "You'll graduate for sure now."

"Thanks, Pain," Kaya said. "I know that I swore to avenge my Clan but until we meet in battle I can say that you have been a big help."

Pain nodded. "Glad to be of help."

"What's going on here?"

Kaya and Pain turned around and saw a certain black-haired Genin.

"Uh... hey, Katana," Kaya said very nervously, casting a glance at Pain.

"Hi," Katana replied. "Who's he?"

"Uh...."

"I'd better go," Pain said and nodded to Kaya before disappearing.

"Kaya?"

"What?"

"Who was he?" Katana asked.

"Nobody, forget it," Kaya said. "Come on, we'd better get back to the village."

Katana was unconvinced but followed Kaya back through the trees.

"Kaya, I saw what happened. He taught you that Jutsu. Why?"

"He wanted to help me so I could graduate," Kaya replied. "What's so bad about that?"

"Well for starters, his bandanna showed that he was from a different village, _and_ it was scratched to show that he had left his village. So it's either he left his village or he turned against it. Either way he looks like bad news. Why was he with you?"

"I've...... known him for quite a while and he came over to see how I was doing," Kaya murmured, she knew she wasn't lying, because that was basically why he came over, sort of.

"And what was with those robes?"

"It shows that he's from a special group," Kaya looked at Katana. "Why are you out here anyway?"

"Uh... my sensei was mad at me and I decided to run off. But then I heard you talking to someone and then I saw him helping you do that Jutsu."

Kaya sighed. "Don't tell anybody I was with that guy, okay?"

"Why not?"

"It's just.......... Katana just don't tell."

"Kaya, what happened there made you look like you were up to something, I have to tell someone!"

Kaya suddenly pushed Katana against a tree. "I don't want anybody to know what you saw! I'm begging you not to tell anyone! Please, Katana!"

Katana sighed. "Fine."

Kaya nodded. "I'm sorry," she let the Genin go and they continued walking and they reached the south gates, the guards were there.

"Looks like we're gonna be in trouble," Katana grumbled.

"Yeah," Kaya agreed and the guards spotted them.

"Katana, there you are!" Ebisu growled.

"Kaya! When did you get out? And how?" Iruka was equally mad.

"Uh... I used my Bird Transformation Jutsu," Kaya replied. "I flew over. I was the person you heard earlier."

Iruka took a deep breath. "With all your joking around I'd be surprised if you passed your graduation test tomorrow, considering you failed with the Clone Jutsu more than five times!"

"Don't worry sensei," Kaya smiled. "I'll pass, I can guarantee it."

Katana looked at Kaya and was about to speak.

"You two will need to see the Hokage," Ebisu said. "Let's go."

Kaya and Katana followed the two Jonin ninja through the village towards the Hokage's building.

"My parents are gonna kill me!" Katana grumbled.

"Well at least in this situation I'm lucky my parents aren't around," Kaya said, a little bitterly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were the kid from the Haruta Clan!" Katana said. "Sorry about that."

Kaya shrugged. "I'm not just a _kid_ from the Haruta Clan," Kaya growled, looking at Iruka. "I know who, or _what_, I really am."

Iruka looked at her. "What do you mean!?!?!?!"

"Why do you look so surprised, sensei?" Kaya whispered and laughed a little, her voice sounding a little deadly. "Did you think I would never find out about the beast that is caged inside of me?"

"How did you know about the Triple-Tailed Tiger?!" Iruka asked.

"Don't you remember the history lesson?"

"Yes I do, but I never told you that it was inside your body! How did you find out!?!?!?!"

Kaya didn't reply straight away. "A friend told me."

Kaya and Katana were led into the Hokage's building.

"Lord Hokage," Iruka said.

"What is it, Iruka?" the Hokage asked and Iruka opened the door, shoving the two girls in first.

"These two had been sneaking around outside the village," Ebisu said.

Kaya glared at him.

"Don't glare at me!" Ebisu growled.

"I will if I want to, Pinky!" Kaya replied, poking her tongue out.

"What were they doing?" the Hokage asked.

"We're not sure," Iruka replied.

"I was escaping from Ebisu-sensei," Katana mumbled.

"And what were you doing, Kaya?" the Hokage asked.

"Uh..........." Kaya said.

"Kaya?" Iruka growled.

"I was training for my graduation test tomorrow," Kaya replied, it was at least half of the truth. She couldn't just say. "Yeah, I just met up with Pain and he taught me this forbidden Jutsu," that wouldn't work.

The Hokage nodded. "You two should go home. Your parents would be worried-"

Kaya looked at the ground.

"I apologize, Kaya," the Hokage said.

"Forget it," Kaya mumbled and turned to leave. Katana followed.

"See you, Kaya!" Katana said before running off home. "I have to face the music of getting into trouble!"

"Bye!" Kaya called and walked back to where she lived.

"Why did you leave the village?"

Kaya looked up and saw Naruto. "I just wanted some fresh air," Kaya replied. "I needed to practice my Clone Jutsu for tomorrow."

"We're doing the Clone Jutsu!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's my worst Jutsu!!!!!!"

Kaya nodded. "Mine to."

"But you're bound to pass!" Naruto said. "I'm gonna fail for sure!!!"

Kaya wondered whether or not she should teach the Shadow Clone Jutsu to Naruto, but maybe if she did, she would get into trouble. After all, Pain said it was a forbidden Jutsu.

She shook her head. She didn't even know why she didn't attack Pain at the first sight of him! He killed her Clan! She should have! But he had helped her, and he had let her live, so she sighed.

"I need some rest," Kaya said to Naruto. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

Naruto nodded. "Catch ya later."

Kaya walked through the village and went home. She lay down on her bed and soon fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, Kaya," Kiba said.

"Hey," Kaya replied with a yawn.

"Alright everybody, into the building please!" Iruka called and all of Kaya's classmates walked into the classroom.

When everybody was seated, Iruka spoke again. "When I call your names, please go to the next room for your test."

Kaya stretched and cracked her knuckles. _This'll be a piece of cake_, she thought. _Thanks to Pain_.

"You look calm," Sasuke said to her. "I thought you were terrible at the Clone Jutsu."

"I am," Kaya smiled. "But I have a different Jutsu that I can do better."

"But you're supposed to do the Clone Jutsu, not something else."

"It's still a clone sort of Jutsu," Kaya waved her hand a little at him. "I'll pass no sweat."

"But we weren't taught any other sort of Clone Jutsu," Sasuke pointed out. "How did you learn a similar one?"

"Uh..............." Kaya looked at him. If she told him, he would probably growl at her with disbelief. She had to keep it a secret. "A friend."

"Lord Hokage."

"What is it?"

The black-haired girl walked into the room. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I saw Kaya with a guy yesterday, and he looked to be from another region because he had a different bandanna."

The Hokage looked at her. "Go on."

"He was tall and he had orange hair. He was teaching something to Kaya and I heard her mention something about fighting him or something like that."

The Hokage's eyes widened. "How else could you describe this man?"

"Well he had a scratch on his bandanna so he wasn't part of his village in the region he would have come from, and he wore a black robe with these red symbols all over it-"

"WHAT!?!?!"

The girl got down on one knee and bowed her head. "I'm sorry Lord Hokage, I just thought you should know."

"No, you did the right thing," the Hokage said. "But I never expected Kaya to be speaking with a member of the Akatsuki."

"The Akatsuki?" the girl looked at him.

"A gang of ninja that destroyed Kaya's Clan. How friendly were they to each other?"

"Well, before the guy showed Kaya a Jutsu they were talking about some beast thing and Kaya jumped up and he stood up, placing a hand on her cheek and he told her to calm down."

"It must have been Pain then," the Hokage said. "The only Akatsuki member to do that would be Pain."

"Well he looked pretty scary for a guy that showed that much kindness to her. And didn't she say she was going to kill the people who destroyed her Clan?"

"Yes, but he must be up to something. You mentioned him telling her about a beast?"

The girl nodded. "He said that there was a beast inside of her, but I had only just got there and hid so I didn't catch everything."

"That means that Pain has told her about the Triple-Tailed Tiger. Thank you, Katana, you can go back to your training now."

"Kaya Haruta, you're up next."

Kaya stood up and walked to the next room, Mezuki was there, and Iruka came to sit with him to asses her Jutsu.

Kaya stood in the middle of the room and the two ninja's watched her. She was a little shocked to actually be seeing herself with Pain when he was teaching her the Jutsu. She felt his hands over hers and her hands moved into the hand-sign.

"It's a forbidden Jutsu, it is called the Shadow Clone Jutsu." she heard him say.

She closed her eyes and focused, she felt her Chakra flowing through her body. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Smoke rose up and when it disappeared, Kaya opened her eyes and she saw five clones of herself.

She looked at Iruka and Mezuki. "Did I pass?"

"Where did you learn that Jutsu!?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Iruka asked.

"I............" Kaya looked at the ground and she was in the room again, not with Pain.

"It shouldn't matter, Iruka," Kaya heard Mezuki say and she looked up. "You know she was bad at the Clone Jutsu, maybe one of the other Jonin ninja's taught her how to do it."

Iruka nodded. "Kaya, you pass."

Kaya jumped into the air. "YES!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!"

She ran over to the table the two ninja were sitting at and they gave her a bandanna. She put it to her forehead and tied it up under her hair. "Thank you Iruka-sensei," she looked at Mezuki, as much as she didn't like him. "Thank you, Mezuki-sensei."

Kaya left the room and went back to her classroom with Iruka and she sat down next to Sasuke.

"So your Jutsu did work," Sasuke said. "Nice work."

"Thanks," Kaya smiled.

There was a knock at the door and Iruka let the person in. Kaya was surprised to see the Hokage.

Kaya sat further down in her seat, hoping that he wasn't here about her.

"Lord Hokage?" Iruka said. "What is the problem?"

The Hokage turned to Kaya and in her head she was freaking out, praying that he would pull her out of the classroom and not say anything straight out in front of the class.

"Kaya, someone has told me they saw you with a guy last night," the Hokage said.

"I wonder what happened there," Kaya heard Kiba say and she heard a wolf-whistle from someone else.

"Who was it?" Sasuke asked her.

Kaya sat down as much as she could in her seat, she was toast!

"It wasn't just any guy," the Hokage said. "Kaya, I never thought you'd be talking with the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, in such a friendly way and allow him to teach you a Jutsu."

Kaya sat up and her head fell forward, hitting it on the desk, not hurting herself because of the bandanna.

"PAIN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Sasuke stood up in his seat. "Have you absolutely lost your mind!?!?!?!?! I thought you wanted to kill him!!!!"

Kaya laughed nervously. "Yeah, well, um..... he's the person who taught me the Shadow Clone Jutsu so I could graduate."

"But he also destroyed your Clan!" Sasuke growled. "How could you not want to kill him!?!?"

"When I am stronger we will fight!" Kaya growled back. "But he wants me to get stronger quickly, and he wants to help me to get that to happen!"

"So you need Pain of all people to help you!?!?!"

"Pain is the reason I'm still alive!" Kaya snapped. "And I didn't ask for him to show up last night! I didn't ask for him to teach me the Jutsu!" she glanced at Iruka. "But I did ask him to tell me why he called me a demon girl as a child. I now know that I have the Triple-Tailed Tiger inside of me!!!!!!"

"We would have told you one day," the Hokage said. "But is that all Pain said to you?"

"No," Kaya replied.  
"What else did he tell you?"

"Nothing," Kaya growled and got up.

"Kaya, don't leave!" Iruka said and stood at the door.

Kaya stayed standing.

"Kaya, you are not to see Pain again!" the Hokage said.

"I don't plan to," Kaya growled. "I didn't even plan on seeing him yesterday!"

"Well you are not to see him anymore anyway."

"Yeah, yeah."

Iruka looked at the class. "Tomorrow you will be put into your squads- Kaya where are you going now!?!?"

Kaya was at the window and she turned to face him. "For a walk." She glanced at Sasuke before jumping out the window and taking off.

Iruka sighed.

"Do you want me to go get her?" Naruto asked.

Iruka shook his head. "Leave her, she's a bit angry."

"A _bit_ angry?" Sakura laughed a little. "She's furious."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, his expression was blank, making it look like he just didn't care. He was pretty mad when he heard that Kaya had been with Pain.

Kaya ran through the village and stopped to catch her breath at the lake. She walked onto the dock and sat down. _I know I was Katana_, she thought. _No one else would have known that she had been with Pain_.

Suddenly, a kunai came out of nowhere and hit the dock beside her. She was about to turn around.

"I saw what happened at the Academy. I heard what the Third Hokage said, and what that Sasuke boy said."

"Hiya Pain," Kaya sighed. "You shouldn't be here."

"But I wanted to see how you went with your graduation test."

"You saw it?" Kaya asked him. "Did I do alright?"

Pain sat next to her. "You did great." He pulled the kunai out of the wood. It had a black handle, Kaya thought that all kunai's had blue handles, not black. Pain handed it to her. "You can have it."

Kaya took it. "Thanks, but Pain, I'm not supposed to see you."

"I know, I heard what the Third Hokage said," Pain smiled. "But I wanted to say congratulations." He put a finger on her bandanna. "You look stronger now. And prettier."

Kaya smiled back, but just a little freaked.

"And also......"

"What?"

"One of my followers wanted to come along and meet you again," Pain said. "I hope that's okay with you?"

Kaya growled. She didn't want to know who it was, she didn't want to meet who it was.

Pain sighed. "Sasori!"

_Sasori_? Kaya growled in her mind. _Damn_!

Kaya watched as a guy with red hair jumped down from a building and ran over. "Hey kid."

Kaya looked at him. "Yeah, hi."

Sasori looked at Pain and Pain shrugged.

Sasori sat on the other side of Kaya. "How ya been kid?"

"Great!" Kaya said sarcastically. "Growing up alone has been absolutely _perfect_!"

"We could have taken you in," Sasori said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But you would have never forgotten what happened."

"Yeah I know, Pain told me," Kaya growled. "And I still remember when you wrapped me in those metal threads, broke out and punched you in the gut."

Sasori flinched and took his hand away. "Look we're sorry okay, we were planning to-"

"I know what you were planning to do!" Kaya rolled her eyes. "Pain told me everything."

Sasori looked at Pain again as if to say. "Why is she so bad-tempered?" Pain just shrugged again.

Kaya nearly jumped when she heard one of her friends calling her name. "You need to go!"

Sasori got up and Pain put a hand on Kaya's shoulder before he got up and the two Akatsuki members ran off.

Kaya realized she was still holding the kunai Pain gave her and she put it in her kunai pocket that was on her right leg.

"Kaya!"

Kaya looked over her shoulder at Naruto and he came and sat beside her. "Hi, Naruto."

"Are you alright, Kaya? You were a bit mad when you took off," Naruto said.

Kaya was silent for a few moments that seemed to last a few minutes. "Sasuke was really mad at me just because Pain came to speak with me yesterday."

"Well he doesn't like a certain member of the Akatsuki."

"Itachi, I know."

"But did you also know that Itachi is actually-"

"A former friend."

Kaya looked over her shoulder and saw Sasuke, who was glaring at Naruto.

Kaya stood up. "I'm gonna go." She started walking away but when she was about to pass Sasuke, he grabbed her arm. She stopped. "I thought you were mad at me."

"I was," Sasuke replied. "But the way the Hokage was talking it made it sound like you were expecting Pain to come."

"I was just sitting down and he came," Kaya said. "And then we got talking."

"Why didn't you attack him? After all, he did destroy your Clan."

"I don't need to be reminded constantly," Kaya let out a growl. "But I didn't attack him because he didn't attack me, and I'm not strong enough yet."

Kaya tried to leave again but Sasuke pulled her back and forced her to face him. "Is Pain the only Akatsuki member you have met since that day eight years ago?"

Kaya looked at him, her expression plain and serious. "Yes."

Sasuke relaxed a little.

"Now let me go so I can go find someone," Kaya growled.

"Who?"

"Katana," Kaya replied and tried to get out of Sasuke's tight grip.

"Why?"

"Does it matter!?" Kaya growled and tore her arm free before running off.

"It looks to me as if Sasuke is interested in young Kaya."

"Well can you blame him, Itachi?"

"She's a brat, Pain!" Itachi growled. "I don't even know why you like her even the tiniest bit."

"She's strong and beautiful. She would have made a great aspect to the Akatsuki."

Itachi rolled his eyes. "You're a strange person, Pain. To like someone such as her. We only need her for her powers."

"I know," Pain replied, sitting down with one knee up and rested his arm on it. "But you have to admit, she doesn't show her fear these days."

Itachi shrugged.

"She's grown up without her parents, what else can you expect."

"Hello Deidara," Pain said.

"What do you mean 'what else can you expect'?" Itachi asked the blond-haired guy.

"She's grown up without parents and that means no discipline, so she's become a troublesome kid for the village making trouble because everyone doesn't seem to notice her. She ditches class because she doesn't want to learn, she just wants to get stronger and fight us," Deidara replied.

"Well we just have to wait until the Chunin exams are over," Kisame said. "And then we can kill her-"

"No one is to kill her!" Pain growled.

"Why not?" a guy named Hidan asked. "Please tell me it's only because she has the Triple-Tailed Tiger in her body."

"She's a strong kid," Pain said. "She wants to be a great ninja."

"And so you're gonna let her live, even when she tries to kill us?" another guy named Tobi asked.

"Or do you have some sort of feelings for that brat?"

"Zetsu, calm down," Pain said. "You never know, she might join us to get stronger, because power is what she wants."

"Yeah, she wants power so she can kill us!" Kisame growled.

"Stop."

Everyone looked at Itachi. "Pain is right, she might join us. Because when she first saw Pain, she didn't attack him, she didn't show her fear. As Pain says anyway."

"It's true," Pain smiled. "When I showed up she jumped to her feet and looked at me but she was a bit tense for a little while. But she had questions she wanted answered and I taught her a Jutsu so she could graduate and become a ninja. She never shows her fear these days because she sees it as a sign of weakness."

"She sounds strong," Deidara smiled.

"Why don't you challenge her to a fight sometime before the exams?" Itachi said to Deidara.

The blond-haired guy looked at Pain. "Would that be okay?"

Pain nodded. "Just don't kill her. And don't let her kill you."

"She won't kill me," Deidara laughed.

"Well she threw Kisame into a pond and punched me in the gut after breaking free of my metal threads," Sasori said. "Then she went after Itachi. And that was eight years ago when she was barely taller than your waist."

Deidara stopped laughing. "Oh yeah. But that was when the Tiger's power kicked in because she was really mad and all."

"But she would still be strong."

"I know that Kakuzu," Deidara said. "She would have to be strong to stop the Triple-Tailed Tiger from taking over her body completely when she got mad eight years ago."

"That's why the beast was put in her body," Pain said. "The Tiger had to be put inside the body of a really strong child because it was unable to be killed. But if Kaya dies, then so does the Tiger."

"Who cares if either of them die!"

Pain looked to the doorway and saw the tenth member of the Akatsuki. "Konan, the Tiger has great power, and so does young Kaya."

"Yes I know," the blue-haired Akatsuki member growled. "But you talk about the girl as if you like her."

"Konan, that's impossible," Pain said.

"You sure?" Konan asked with a disbelieving grin.

Pain was silent.

"I see."

"Konan wait!" Pain growled.

"What?" Konan growled back.

Pain rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Forget it!"

Konan walked off.

"So, when can I fight young Kaya?"

"Whenever you want, Deidara," Pain sighed. "But at least give it a few days so she can train."


	6. Chapter 6

"Katana, you can't always skip out on training!"

"I know that, Tamori!" Katana growled. "But Ebisu-sensei doesn't teach us anything interesting!"

Tamori sighed. "You sure you're not just lazy?"

"What did you say!?!?!"

"She can't be lazy if her mouth never shuts up when it needs to stay shut!" came a growling voice.

Katana turned around and saw a black-haired girl with the village bandanna on her forehead, the girl's arms were crossed and she didn't look pleased.

"What.. do you.... mean?" Katana asked, her voice a little shaky.

"I got a visit from the Hokage today," Kaya smiled in an angry way. "You told him I was with Pain yesterday."

"No, I mean yes but......"

"But what?" Kaya growled. "I told you to keep quiet!"

"Sorry, but he was a stranger and the Hokage needed to know!" Katana said. "And it's a good thing I did! Pain is the bad guy! He-"

"I know what he did!" Kaya said. "But I asked you not to tell anyone!"

Katana rolled her eyes. "You're a kid. You don't know what it means to be a ninja."

Kaya growled. "I'm a ninja now!"

"Yeah, _now_."

"Whatever," Kaya grumbled and turned to leave.

"Kaya, you need to tone down your attitude!" Katana growled. "It doesn't help you get stronger. And making friends with the wrong people can get you into a heap of trouble."

Kaya shrugged. "Does it looks like care?"

"Kaya, just because you don't have parents doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want!"

Kaya spun around. "It's not my fault my parents are dead! And no one can tell me what to do!"

Kaya turned again and left, grumbling to herself.

"Okay everybody, I will now tell you what squad you'll be on."

Kaya yawned, she didn't get much sleep last night. She had no idea why and she leaned on her desk.

Iruka put everybody into their squads. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji in one squad. Kiba, Hinata and Shino in another squad. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto in another squad. Kaya was left without a squad, but she was way too tired to really care at that moment.

"Okay. One squad will be a four man team," Iruka said. "Who would like to take Kaya?"

Basically each squad put their hands up. Sakura kept her hand down, of course.

"Kaya, which squad would you like to join?" Iruka asked.

Kaya lifted her head form the desk. "Huh?"

"Iruka-sensei, we'll take her," Sasuke said.

Kaya looked at Sasuke. "What's going on?"

"Kaya, how much sleep did you get last night?" Iruka asked.

"Um................. half an hour I think, maybe less."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Kaya yawned and leaned her head on her desk again.

Iruka sighed. "Alright, you can join squad seven with Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura-"

"SAKURA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????" Kaya was awake. "AW MAN!!!!!!!!!!"

"Why do _we_ have to get stuck with her?" Sakura grumbled.

"Why do _I_ have to get stuck with _you_?" Kaya growled at Sakura. "This sucks!"

Naruto sighed. "Will you two ever get along?"

"Don't hold your breath," Kaya yawned.

"Now that the squad's have been listed, you will all meet with your squad leaders at certain places," Iruka said. "Squad seven will meet their squad leader here."

Kaya shrugged and put her head down on the desk again and the other squads left the room, including Iruka.

The squad was waiting for a few hours and Kaya had gotten at least some sleep.

"He's late!" Sakura complained.

"Well we can't do anything about that," Sasuke sighed.

Kaya stood up and moved a chair near the door and opened the door a little bit.

"Kaya, what are you up to?" Naruto asked.

Kaya shut the door on a duster and got down, moved the chair away and went to sit back down.

"Yeah right!" Sakura rolled her eyes. "Like a Jonin is gonna fall for that trick!"

Kaya leaned back on her chair and saw a hand reach the door. It opened and the duster fell on top of the Jonin's head.

"Yes!" Kaya said and started laughing. "Perfect hit!"

The Jonin looked at Kaya laughing and she fell backwards on her chair. A few moments passed. "Ow."

"I'm sorry sensei!" Sakura said. "I tried to stop her. _I'd_ never do anything like that!"

"Shut up, Sakura!" Kaya growled, still lying on the ground. "Just because you're a chicken!"

"Kaya, do you plan on getting up any time soon?" the Jonin replied.

"......................... no."

_Wait a second_, she thought and sat up, her head just being able see over the desk. "It's you."

Kaya was looking at the Jonin ninja that caught her in the net and stopped her from attacking Sakura. The ninja with the black scarf over his mouth, nose and neck, the bandanna on his forehead tilted over his left eye and the book in his hand.

The Jonin nodded. "I am your squad leader."

Kaya sighed and yawned, she was still tired.

"Everyone sit down and tell me about yourselves," he said and Naruto sat next to Kaya and Sakura sat on the other side of Sasuke.

"Tell you about ourselves?" Naruto echoed.

"Tell me things you like, things you don't like, hopes for the future, your hobbies. Things like that."

"Could you give us a demonstration?" Sakura asked. "So we get a better idea."

"Okay, my name is Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I don't like.... well, I don't feel like telling you that. My hopes for the future are many. And as for hobbies, well, I have a lot of hobbies."

"That was helpful," Kaya mumbled sarcastically.

"You, girl with the pink hair-"

"That looks like Ebisu," Kaya piped up and Sakura glared at her.

"Well?"

"My name is Sakura Haruno, and what I like is. I mean, the person I like is," she looked at Sasuke who wasn't paying attention to her. She blushed and looked away. "My hopes for the future is," she looked at him again and blushed more. "My hobbies are..." another glance.

"Okay, what do you hate?" Kakashi asked her.

"Naruto! And Kaya!"

Naruto fell to the floor in embarrassment. Kaya shrugged, she didn't care.

"Okay," Kakashi sighed. _She cares more about boys than she does ninja training_. "Kaya, you're next."

"Alright," Kaya yawned. "I'm Kaya Haruta. What I like is to fight, what I don't like is Sakura. My hobbies are running around causing trouble for everyone and being an idiot and my hopes for the future is to become a strong ninja so I can avenge my Clan. Okay, I'm done."

"How are you supposed to avenge your Clan if you're making friends with the people who destroyed your Clan?" Sakura sneered.

Kaya clenched her fists and stood up.

"Sit back down, Kaya!" Kakashi said sternly. Kaya didn't sit back down, she just stared at Sakura with a glare so full of hatred that Sakura was getting really scared.

Kakashi sighed. "Can you boys get Kaya calm again?"

Sasuke sighed and him and Naruto stood up and grabbed Kaya right before she was about to run at Sakura.

"Cool it, Kaya!" Sasuke told her.

Kaya tried getting free of their grip on her arms but they were too strong. Just.

"Let me go!" Kaya growled.

"What's the matter?" Sakura smiled. "Are you that weak that you can't get free? Are you weak because you don't have any parents and it makes you sad?"

Kaya stayed still for a moment and closed her eyes. Then her eyes snapped open. "You're dead, Sakura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kaya tightened her muscles and tore her arms free of the boy's grip on her and she ran at Sakura. Sakura stepped back and braced herself for a fierce attack.

Kaya stopped running and skidded to a stop right in front of Kakashi. She growled at him. "Why do you always get in the way!?!?"

"You shouldn't attack your teammate, no matter what," Kakashi said.

"You heard what she said!" Kaya hissed. "She's constantly saying crap about my parents! It's not my fault they're dead!"

"No, it's the Akatsuki's fault," Sasuke said. "And most of the blame goes to Pain because he's their leader."

Kaya clenched her fists even more and a small amount of blood trickled down from her palms.

"Calm down, Kaya," Kakashi said. "I heard about your meeting with Pain, even though it was unintended. There's no need to get worked up."

Kaya didn't reply, she just sat back down and relaxed, Sakura didn't dare say anything more.

"Okay, shall we continue?" Kakashi said. "You, orange-head. Your turn."

"Alright. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and what I like is Ramen. What I don't like is the three minutes you have to wait before you can eat it. My hobbies is eating different flavors of Ramen and comparing them. And my dream for the future is to become the greatest Hokage! Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting me and look up to me!" He adjusted his bandanna as he spoke.

Kakashi nodded. "Good. Okay, last one."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not just a dream, because I _will_ make it a reality. I will restore my Clan and destroy a certain someone."

Naruto stiffened. _Gee, I hope he doesn't mean me_!

_Sasuke sounded so positive_, Kaya thought. _Is he really that desperate to kill Itachi_?

Sasuke looked at Kaya for a few moments before looking away.

"Okay, now that we know each other,we can start training tomorrow. Meet me at the training field at five o'clock in the morning. Bring your ninja gear, oh and don't have breakfast or, you'll puke."

Kaya looked at her sensei and shrugged, she was used to skipping meals.

"You can all go now," Kakashi said and Kaya was the first out the door.

Kaya had her hands in her pockets and she walked around the village, bored. Maybe she could go to the training field just to check it out.

"Hey, Kaya!"

Kaya turned around and saw her teammates walking after her. She stopped and waited for them to catch up.

"Hi guys," Kaya said. "What's up?"

"Well it's nearly lunchtime so we figured we could all have lunch together," Naruto said. "Seeing as we're on the same team and all now."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Kaya smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, Kaya, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura were sitting on the dock by the lake eating lunch.

"So what do you think the training will be tomorrow?" Naruto wondered.

"It won't be too hard because we're just getting started as Genin," Kaya assured him.

"But he said we'd puke if we ate breakfast," Sakura pointed out and Kaya rolled her eyes.

"Kaya has a point though," Sasuke said. "We're only just beginning as Genin so we'd need to train on the easy levels until we can move onto higher levels."

Sakura growled and Kaya smiled. "But skipping breakfast will be easy."

"Easy?!" Naruto exclaimed. "Are you nuts?"

"No," Kaya blinked. "I skip breakfast nearly every morning. Some days I don't even eat until the days finish."

"That must be why you're thinner than all the other girls," Sasuke said. "And more fit surprisingly."

"More fit!?" Sakura growled. "I could beat her any day!"

"Alright," Kaya said. "Tomorrow at training. If you beat me, that means you're better. But if I beat you, then you stop insulting me."

"Deal," Sakura said and put a hand out. Kaya took it and they shook.

Kaya tore her hand away just in time to avoid a kunai that hit the wood in front of them. She looked at it and saw the black handle. She jumped up. "I gotta go!"

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"Nowhere," Kaya said. "I just need to go."

Without another word, Kaya took off and ran through the village. She ran around a corner and had to quickly stop before she stepped on or tripped over Akamaru, Kiba's puppy. "Sorry Akamaru!" Kaya breathed.

"Are you okay, Kaya? You look really exhausted."

Kaya looked up and saw Kiba, Hinata and Shino.

"I'm fine," Kaya breathed. "I just need to get somewhere."

"Where?"

Kaya opened her mouth and another kunai with a black handle hit the ground beside her, it had some sort of paper on it. She kneeled down and picked it up, opening the paper. It said: "Meet me at the training field."

Kaya sighed, she had a fair bit of running to do. "Aw man! Why the training field?!"

"What's the matter?" Hinata asked, her voice quiet as always.

"Nothing," Kaya said. "I'll see you later. Bye!" Kaya took off again.

_I have to run all the way to the stupid training field_! She complained in her mind. _Oh well. I'll get over it_.

Kaya ran passed the north gates and out into the forest. She followed the path and eventually got to the training field, completely out of breath, and she fell on her back on the soft grass.

"You didn't have to run the whole way, you know."

Kaya looked up and saw Pain standing over her. She struggled to sit up and she put her arms up. "Can you help me?"

Pain laughed and grabbed her hands, lifting her off the ground and he put her on her feet.

"Thank-you," Kaya said but nearly fell backwards again. She would have if Pain hadn't of picked her up and carried her over to the training posts and leaned her up against it.

"So why did you drag me out here?" Kaya asked. "I'm gonna get into trouble if I get caught with you again."

"I know," Pain said.

"Then why did you make me come here?"

"Hey guys!"

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura stopped and looked at Kiba and his squad.

"Hi," Sasuke said. "Have you seen Kaya?"

"Yeah," Kiba said. "She said she had to go to the training field for some reason, she looked exhausted and she ran off."

"She's always pushing herself too much," Hinata said.

"Do you know why she ran off?" Naruto asked, mainly to Hinata.

"Well.. um.. a kunai got thrown and there was a note on it..." Hinata said quietly, blushing as Naruto looked at her and he looked confused. "Then she said she had to go to the training field.... after that she ran off.... we don't know why."

"Why, what's wrong?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing," Sasuke said before his teammates could reply. "We just want to find her."

"Sasuke, what's the matter?" Sakura asked. "You look concerned."

"I know why she ran off."

"So my squad leader is Kakashi-sensei," Kaya said. "But he stopped me from attacking Sakura after what she said."

"What did she say?" Pain asked.

"Just something about my parents," Kaya mumbled, looking at the ground.

Pain sighed. "I'm sorry, Kaya. Things could have been different but-"

"Forget about it," Kaya said. "I've lived with it until now, why should it all affect me now?"

"You're very strong at heart." Pain smiled. "That's something to be proud of."

"I used to cry when I was a kid," Kaya murmured. "After I came to the Leaf Village, I was in the hospital for three months because of my condition. Every night I cried, because I had to start over and live with the burning desire for revenge. But I guess I just got tired of crying."

"How bad was your condition?"

"Well I walked for a few days without stopping," Kaya sighed. "And before that I fought Kisame and Sasori in my bad mood when the Triple-Tailed Tiger tried to take over and I was so exhausted. Also I had been training that day with some kunai and I had scratches all over me so.... pretty bad."

"I can't imagine what it would have been like," Pain said quietly. "But if only things had of been quicker then you would have grown-up believing it wasn't us that destroyed your Clan."

"But I would have found out eventually," Kaya said.

"Kaya, even as I speak of this, you don't growl or spit threats. But if someone else spoke of all this then you would."

Kaya looked away. "And?"

"I'm the enemy, and you talk to me as if I'm your friend. You're supposed to hate me, but you don't show it Why?"

"I don't know," Kaya replied. "It could be because you're the reason I'm still alive. It was you, after all, that stopped Itachi from attacking me."

"Yeah well, you were just a child," Pain said. "And I couldn't let the Akatsuki members kill you, you were so innocent and defenseless."

"But after I pass the Chunin exams, I have to fight you," Kaya looked at him.

_Who ever said you had to fight me_? Pain thought. _You could always join the Akatsuki and gain more power_.

"But tomorrow I have to beat Sakura at training," Kaya shook her head.

"Why?"

"We made a deal, if she won, she was better than me fair and square. If I won, she would stop insulting me."

"That seems like a fair deal. But what kind of training will it be?"

"I don't know. Kakashi-sensei just told us to bring our ninja gear, skip breakfast and come here at five in the morning."

"He sounds like a tough trainer"

"Meh," Kaya shrugged. "But I pulled a prank on him this morning!"

"You're joking?"

"Nope, I put the duster in the door and when he opened it, it fell on his head."

"That's the oldest trick in the book!" Pain laughed. "And he fell for that?"

"Well I guess he must have seen it coming, he is a Jonin after all."

"It's too bad you plan on fighting me after the Chunin exams," Pain sighed. "It's nice to spend time with you."

Kaya shrugged. "I swore to avenge my Clan."

"But you know," Pain said, looking at the sky. "You can avenge someone but it won't bring them back, no matter what you do, you will never bring them back."

Kaya looked at him and she was suddenly deep in thought. _He's right. Even if I do avenge my Clan by killing all the Akatsuki, I will never bring my Clan back_.

Kaya jumped up. "Let's fight!"

"What?!"

"Let's fight!" Kaya said in a playful voice. "I want to see how tough you are. Come on!"

Pain sighed. "Alright, but I won't go easy on you." He stood up and saw her jumping around like a child. He had to laugh a little. He had never seen her like this.

When he was standing properly, Kaya got serious and ready to fight.

Pain was about to advance but Kaya hissed. "Quick! Go!"

Pain was confused but the urgency in her voice reached him and he jumped up into a tree. Kaya sat back down by the training post and she saw her teammates coming over.

"Hey guys," Kaya tried to act normal.

"Hi, Kaya," Naruto said. "Why are you here alone?"

"I wanted to explore!" Kaya said in a kid-tone, but it didn't seem to fool Sasuke.

"Pain was here, wasn't he?" Sasuke growled. "We spoke to Kiba's squad, they told us a kunai was thrown and you read a note saying to go to the training field."

Kaya growled in her mind. "No, I came here on my own accord."

"Don't joke around!" Sasuke said. "You came here because Pain made you come."

"No-"

"Kaya! You're supposed to stay away from him!" Sasuke growled. "He's dangerous!"

Kaya rolled her eyes. "I can handle myself!"

"It's not that you can't! It's the fact that the Hokage ordered you to stay away from him. You never know if hes going to trick you or ambush you! He cannot be trusted!"

Kaya shrugged and started walking away but Sasuke grabbed her arm, and because he was mad, his grip was really tight. He pulled Kaya back and grabbed her shoulder with his other hand. "Kaya, you can't be like this all the time. You act like you don't care and you say that you're going to avenge your Clan and all. Well it doesn't sound like any of that crap you talk about is actually gonna happen!"

Kaya tried pulling her arm away but he didn't let go. "Sasuke! Let me go already!"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Kaya, you're not even listening to a word I'm saying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I am listening!!!" Kaya snapped. "But I'd rather not be treated like a kid that can't take care of herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Well if you keep acting like it then you're gonna get treated like it!" Sasuke growled.

"I don't care!"

Sasuke clenched his fists, accidentally tightening his grip on her arm and starting to hurt her. She flinched. "Sasuke, you're really starting to hurt my arm."

It was as if he didn't hear her. "Kaya, you need to start listening more and actually do as you're told."

Now Kaya knew he was tightening his grip on purpose. "Ahh! Sasuke! That.. hurts!!!"

"Kaya you need to grow up!!!!!" Sasuke growled, not listening to her.

Kaya could feel the circulation being cut off and her whole arm was in pain.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't have your fists clenched," Naruto said.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke said, not loosening his grip.

Kaya was trying her best not to call out in pain and her knees were getting wobbly because she wasn't balanced due to her intense pain.

"Sasuke, you could snap her arm with that grip!" Sakura exclaimed, sounding scared.

Sasuke wasn't listening, he was so mad that Kaya was losing a lot of circulation in her arm.

She closed her eyes, thinking her arm would snap.

She suddenly heard her teammates gasp and Sasuke's grip on her arm loosened. His hand wasn't even on her shoulder anymore.

"Maybe you shouldn't hurt your teammate. It might just be a good idea."

Kaya opened her eyes and saw Pain standing in between her and Sasuke, his hand tightly gripping Sasuke's arm, meaning Kaya's arm wasn't getting snapped.

"Pain?" Kaya exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping you," Pain said. "It's better than watching your arm get snapped."

Sasuke let go of Kaya's arm completely and she backed away, feeling the blood rush through her arm again and she held it.

Sasuke finally snapped out of his anger and Pain let him go before walking over to Kaya. "You alright, kid?"

"I'm fine," Kaya murmured.

"Kaya, I.... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking...." Sasuke said.

Pain turned to face him.

"Pain, no!" Kaya said. "You should go."

"Are you sure?" Pain asked her.

"I'll be fine," Kaya assured him and stopped holding her arm, it was feeling better. "You need to go."

"You're gonna be in trouble because of me. I'm sorry, but I had to help you. He would have snapped your arm."

"Forget it," Kaya said.

Pain nodded and put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a little. "See ya round, kid."

Kaya nodded slightly and Pain took off through the trees. Kaya turned and faced her teammates.

"I know what you're gonna say," she sighed. "So save it."

"But Kaya, he's the leader of the Akatsuki," Naruto said. "He destroyed your Clan and he's friendly to you? Why?"

"Do I have to tell people everything!?!?!?" Kaya growled. "He's the reason I'm still alive. Itachi would have killed me eight years ago if it wasn't for Pain!"

Kaya turned and walked off.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

"Back to the village," Kaya said and kept walking.

"Kaya, I know I said I was sorry but you do have to listen sometimes!" Sasuke called. "Nothing good will come of it if you're always like this."

"See you guys tomorrow!" Kaya called over her shoulder.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said.

"What?"

"Were you really that mad? I mean, she didn't do anything wrong for you to try ad break her arm off."

"She was forbidden to see Pain, but she continues to do so," Sasuke said. "I'm starting to get the feeling this means a lot of trouble."

"Pain, what were you thinking!?!?!"

"I didn't mean to, okay!" Pain growled. "He was about to break her arm, I had to do something!"

"Yeah, you could have left her!"

"And what? Let her miss her training and have to take the Chunin exams next year. Deidara, I thought you wanted to fight her?"

"I do."

"Well then just think that I did it for you, alright!" Pain growled.

"You're spending too much time with young Kaya," Itachi said, walking over to join the argument between Pain and Deidara.

"Well if I can convince her not to fight us, and then tell her that she can get stronger by joining us," Pain said. "Then she can join the Akatsuki."

"So you actually want that brat to join us still?" Itachi asked, his tone sounding like he didn't care.

"She's not a brat," Pain said. "She even has a hyperactive side to her."

"Hyperactive????" Itachi echoed.

"Yeah, she challenged me to a fight and she was jumping around like a child until I stood up."

"She challenged you to a fight?" Deidara said.

"Not a full-battle," Pain explained. "She just wanted to see my strength."

"She's still a brat to me," Itachi growled a little.

"Just wait until she joins us," Pain said. "You might still think of her as a brat but she's pretty strong."

"And she has the Triple-Tailed Tiger inside of her, which makes her more powerful when she's mad," Deidara smiled. "I still remember seeing young Kaya throw Kisame into the pond when she was five, and then she broke out of Sasori's metal threads and punched him. That tiger sure is strong."

"But young Kaya is stronger," Pain said. "That's why she has it in her body."

"But Pain, how can you guarantee that the kid will abandon her village to join us?"

"Kakuzu, she will want to obtain power," Pain explained. "So she will want to come with us so she can get her power. Trust me."


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't believe we're being dragged out here at this time!" Naruto complained, sitting down. Kaya stayed standing and kept a lookout, Sakura and Sasuke sat down.

"I'm hungry!" Naruto complained.

"Shut up," Sasuke growled. "We're all hungry."

"Well you guys are anyway," Kaya said and continued looking around.

"How can you not be hungry?" Sakura asked. "I'm starving."

"I didn't even have dinner last night," Kaya said.

"You don't eat a lot, do you?" Naruto said.

"Nope," Kaya replied. "It only slows me down."

Sakura and Naruto looked at her with surprise.

"What?" Kaya said.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Naruto said. "You're just one of the weirdest people I have ever met."

"I am not!"

"Are to! Remember at the Academy when we were kids, me Choji, Kiba and Shikamaru were always causing trouble and you joined in. You were the first to jump out the window and we followed. Iruka-sensei got so mad."

"What's your point?"

"Well usually girls don't do that sort of thing."

Kaya shrugged and cast a quick glance at Sasuke, she was sure he was still mad at her for being with Pain the day before, but none of her teammates had told the Hokage, yet. As far as she was aware.

Sasuke hadn't yet said a word to her, but she didn't really care at that moment.

Kaya remained standing and the sun rose high into the sky, it must have been ten o'clock at least.

She sighed. Kakashi was late, it was nearly lunchtime.

Kakashi finally appeared with a happy expression.

"You're late!!!" Sakura and Naruto growled.

"Sorry," Kakashi laughed. "A black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way around."

Kaya shook her head. _Idiot_. "So what's our training lesson today?"

Kakashi put an alarm on a clock "It's set for noon." He showed them three bells. "You have to take these bells before then."

"But there's four of us," Sakura pointed out. "Why is there only three bells?"

"Because that way at least one of you gets tied to a post and goes hungry."

_So that's why he told us not to have breakfast_! Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura thought with expressions of complaint.

"And if none of you can get a bell, you will all get tied to a post and watch while I eat my lunch in front of you."

Kaya shrugged. This would be easy. Taking bells? She knew it would be a piece of cake.

"When I say start, you can start," Kakashi said.

Sasuke and the others stood up. Kaya got ready.

"Start!"

The four Genin ninja's jumped into the trees in different directions. Kaya jumped from tree branch to tree branch and stopped when she saw Kakashi near a small river, reading a book.

"Hey! You! Let's fight, right here, right now!"

Kaya looked out of the tree and sighed when she saw Naruto standing a few meters away from Kakashi. _Idiot, you were supposed to hide_. She thought.

Kakashi turned to face Naruto. "In case you didn't realize this but, you were supposed to be hiding. Compared to the others, you're a bit... weird."

"Oh yeah!" Naruto said. "The only thing weird here is your bad hair-cut!" He pointed to Kakashi's silver-white hair.

Naruto ran at Kakashi and they fought for a few moments before Naruto was thrown into the river.

"That would have really hurt," Kaya whispered to herself.

Naruto climbed out of the river. "Now what are you doing, Naruto?" Kakashi asked. "You won't get a bell from me like that."

"Well I don't have enough strength because I'm starving here!!!" Naruto complained.

Kaya saw Sasuke and Sakura hiding, they looked hungry to. Kaya wasn't. She was used to skipping meals.

Kakashi and Naruto were talking for a few moments but then more Naruto's came out of the river. He had used a Shadow Clone Jutsu, and Kaya had no idea where he would have learned it!

Kakashi was about to fight them but he was grabbed from behind. By another Naruto.

_Way to go, Naruto_! Kaya thought. _That was awesome_!

Naruto went to punch Kakashi but when he did, Kakashi turned into another Naruto.

All the Naruto's got into a fight, thinking one of them was actually Kakashi.

_Idiot_! Kaya rolled her eyes. _Kakashi-sensei used a Replacement Jutsu with one of Naruto's clones and then he got away_.

In moments, only one Naruto was left. He had been punched a few times.

He looked onto the ground. "He dropped a bell!"

_Naruto, bad idea_! Kaya sighed. _It's a_-

Naruto ran for the bell but his feet got tied together and he was pulled up, handing upside down by some rope.

_Trap_. She finished.

Kakashi appeared and looked at Naruto. "If the bait is obvious, don't take it."

Naruto clenched his fists and tried to get down.

Kaya looked at the bell that was still on the ground. If she could distract Kakashi, then she could sneak in and grab it.

She put her hands together and made a hand-sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" she whispered and when the smoke disappeared, there was three of her. One of them turned into a bird and flew into the air.

Kakashi looked up and threw a shuriken, thinking it was Kaya. The bird disappeared and the other clone ran out. "Alright Kakashi-sensei! You and me, right now!"

Kakashi forgot all about the bell and shrugged before running at the clone.

Kaya jumped out of the tree and raced over to the bell. She stopped and went to pick it up.

"I wouldn't do that."

Kaya turned around and saw Kakashi holding her clone around the neck with his arm and it disappeared. She smiled innocently and went to punch her sensei. He dodged it and he threw a punch back at her. Kaya quickly put her arm up and blocked the attack. She flipped over onto her hands, grabbed Kakashi's head with her feet and threw him over into the river.

She stood up. "YES!!!!!!"

Kakashi climbed out of the river and Kaya smiled. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Don't get cocky."

Kaya pulled out a kunai and spun, just tearing her sensei's vest as he moved backwards to avoid the blow. Kakashi quickly looked at her kunai with a curious stare. Kaya looked at it and hid the entire handle with her hand and put it back in her kunai pocket. It was the kunai Pain had given her.

While Kakashi was distracted, Kaya punched him in the gut, but he gave it right back at her. Kaya disappeared.

"What?!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"Hey sensei! How did I do?!"

Kakashi looked up into the tree Naruto was handing from, Kaya was sitting on it with the bell in her hand, swinging it back and fourth with a huge grin.

"How did you do that?" he asked her.

"I sent out one clone as a bird, and another as me," Kaya smiled. "Then I sent out my other clone to let you be distracted by fighting 'me' while I swooped in as a bird using my Bird Transformation Jutsu and grabbed the bell. Easy."

Kakashi smiled. "Excellent, Kaya. You did well."

Kaya smiled and jumped down. "I'm gonna go rest at the training field while you finish the lesson."

Kaya ran through the trees and stopped at the training field. She jumped to the top of the rock in the center of the field and she sat down, swinging the bell back and fourth, bored now that she had finished the lesson.

Noon had come and Kaya was lying on the rock, nearly asleep.

"We're back!"

Kaya sat up and looked at her teammates and sensei. Naruto got tied to one of the posts. Kaya jumped down to join them.

Kakashi handed a bowl of Ramen to the three other Genin. "No one is to feed Naruto. There will be severe consequences if any of you do."

Kakashi disappeared.

The three teammates sat down and started eating, but Kaya wasn't hungry.

She looked at Naruto and heard his stomach growl. Ramen was his favorite food, and he was starving. She stood up and walked over to him. "Here, you can have it."

"Kaya, you're not supposed to feed him," Sakura said.

"But he's more hungry than I am," Kaya replied.

"You'll get in trouble."

"And she would care, why?" Sasuke said. "She's always getting into trouble."

Kaya shrugged. "He needs to eat more than I do so why shouldn't I give him my food?"

"Because Kakashi-sensei will get mad at you," Sakura said.

"Well what if we were on a mission or something?!" Kaya challenged. "What if we were on a really hard mission and one of us was starving and weak because we didn't bring enough food. What would you do? Give them your food because you have plenty? Or turn your back?"

"But orders are orders," Sasuke replied.

"You can't abandon your friends just for some orders," Kaya growled. "Friends come first."

With that, Kaya fed Naruto her food and sat back down.

"Thanks, Kaya," Naruto said. "I appreciate it."

"No problems," Kaya smiled. "It was the least I could do."

Kakashi reappeared. "Kaya, I saw what you did."

Kaya shrugged.

"Sensei we tried to stop her," Sakura said. "But she wanted Naruto to have her food because he was starving. We're sorry we couldn't stop her-"

"No," Kakashi smiled.

"What?" Sakura asked, confused.

"I heard what Kaya was saying. She's right, friends come before orders," Kakashi said, turning to Kaya. "This test was to see if you would abandon Naruto by letting him starve, or help him."

"He was hungry," Kaya said. "I wasn't. So it was only fair that I gave it to him."

Kakashi nodded. "You did well. Yet again."

Kaya smiled.

Suddenly, a kunai hit the ground in front of Kaya.

_Not again_! Kaya thought. _I can't leave now. Sasuke will tell Kakashi-sensei and I'll get into trouble for seeing Pain again_!

"Pain again," Sasuke growled and stood up.

Kakashi untied Naruto. "Naruto, escort Kaya back to the village."

Naruto nodded and Kaya walked with him. Sakura and Sasuke had to follow Kakashi into the trees.

"Why is Pain always making you run off to see him?" Naruto asked Kaya.

"I don't know," Kaya growled.

When the two of them were nearly at the village, Naruto was pulled away from Kaya with metal threads and he was tied to a tree. Then he got knocked out.

"What!?" Kaya exclaimed when Sasori appeared. "What are you doing?!"

"We have to speak with you," Sasori said and nodded to the shadows where another Akatsuki member appeared. He had long blond hair in a ponytail that covered over one eye which was actually a metal eye, Kaya was a little nervous.

"Why?" Kaya growled and got ready to fight.

"Calm down, kid," the blond-haired guy said. "Pain sent us."

"Who are you?" Kaya asked.

"My name is Deidara," he replied and walked right over to Kaya.

"So what did Pain send you here for?" Kaya asked.

"He told us to come find you and tell you that something is going to happen tonight. A creature is roaming the forest and it will come into your village."

"What kind of creature? Why is it coming?"

"We don't know," Sasori said. "But it's a deadly creature."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Pain sent us," Deidara pointed out. "You believe him right?"

Kaya shrugged but heard people calling her name.

"We gotta go," Sasori said.

Deidara nodded to Kaya. "See you around, kid."

The two Akatsuki members took off and Naruto woke up, the threads disappeared.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, rubbing his head.

"Nothing," Kaya replied. "You tripped and fell over, that's all."

Kaya saw her sensei and two teammates run over.

"Any sign of Pain?" Kaya asked, trying not to sound as if she had just met with two Akatsuki members.

Kakashi shook his head. "Not a trace. Come on, let's get back to the village."

Kaya followed her squad. She was confused. Why did they tell her about the creature? Why was it even coming to the village? Were they even telling her the truth?

"Hiya Kaya!"

Kaya turned and saw her friend Katana. "Hi."

Kaya left her squad and walked over to join the older Genin.

"What's up?" Katana smiled.

"Not much," Kaya replied. "And are you running from Ebisu again?"

"Yeah, why?"

Kaya pointed over Katana's shoulder and Katana turned to see her sensei. "Crap!"

"Katana! You have to stop skipping training if you ever want to become a good ninja!"

"Hey Sakura!" Kaya waved to Ebisu. "Oh wait, I'm sorry, I thought you were Sakura. My bad."

Ebisu growled, he still had the pink paint all over him. Katana started laughing.

"That's it!" Ebisu growled. "Kaya where is your squad leader?"

Kaya pointed over to where Kakashi was walking with Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto. Ebisu grabbed Kaya's arm and dragged her over to Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" Ebisu growled.

The Jonin turned around. And looked at Ebisu. "What's the problem?"

"Kaya!"

"What about her?"

"This kid is causing trouble too much! She needs more discipline!" Ebisu pulled Kaya forward.

"Uh..... okay," Kakashi said, casting a mocking glance at Ebisu. "But... where exactly _is_ Kaya?"

Ebisu looked at what he was holding. It was a branch.

"Ebisu! Over here!"

Ebisu and the others looked up and saw Kaya sitting on a rooftop, laughing. Katana jumped up to join her.

Ebisu clenched his fists and the branch snapped.

"Do I look like a branch to you?" Kaya laughed. "Because Kakashi-sensei doesn't think so. I think your glasses are getting cloudy or something."

"Kaya, get back down here!" Ebisu growled.

Kaya sighed and shrugged, putting her hands together and after smoke rose up, a bird flew down and landed on Kakashi's shoulder.

"You're the worst trouble-maker in the whole village!" Ebisu shouted. Kaya cringed and got up to fly away but Ebisu caught her. "You're going to see the Hokage!"

Smoke rose up and the bird disappeared.

"Am I?"

Ebisu turned around and looked at Kaya. He looked in his hand and saw a rock.

Katana and Kaya high-five-d. "Nice idea, Katana," Kaya smiled. "It was great!"

Katana laughed. "Pinky, I think Kaya's right. You're glasses must be getting cloudy. Because she doesn't look like a rock either."

Kaya grinned and nodded.

"You will pay for this Kaya!" Ebisu growled. "Katana, let's go!"

Katana shook her head. "You have to catch me first!" She turned and bolted off. Ebisu growled and ran after her.

"Kaya?"

Kaya looked at Kakashi. "Yes?"

"You really do need to stop causing so much trouble."

"But it's fun!" Kaya complained.

Kakashi sighed. "Just stop annoying Ebisu."

Kaya frowned. "Fine." She yawned and turned away.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"Home, I'm sleepy." Kaya walked off.

Kaya walked through the village and came to her house. She went jumped up to her window sill and climbed through the window into her house. She went to the fridge and got a drink of water. She sat at the table and looked out the window. She wondered what kind of 'deadly' creature Deidara and Sasori had been talking about. She wasn't sure whether or not she should even believe them. She knew that if Pain had of come she would have believed it. But it wasn't Pain who came. It was blondy and red-head. _Maybe it's just a trick_. She thought. _Oh well, I'm going to sleep anyway_.

Kaya left her drink and walked to her bedroom. She fell on her bed and lay there, falling asleep. She was tired.


	8. Chapter 8

"Kaya! Kaya, get up!"

Kaya opened her eyes, but no one was there. She got up and stretched, yawning a little. She wondered if it was a dream. She was about to go back to sleep but she heard screaming and she ran to her window.

She looked out of it and saw a grizzly bear, ten times its normal size!

Ninja's ran at it in hopes to try and bring it down but the bear simply swung its massive paw and threw them away.

_So this is the deadly creature they spoke of_, she thought. _I am such and idiot not to have believed them_!

She jumped down from her window and just managed to catch a small child that got thrown away by the bear. She put the kid down and saw blood on his body, but he had no wounds. She looked further ahead and was horrified to see a dead woman that was just about drowned in blood.

She left the kid and started walking towards the bear, it was killing people from her village. Fury burned within her and she walked right passed more dead people.

She felt the stir of anger within her body. The last time she had seen dead bodies was when she was five, eight years ago, when her Clan was destroyed.

She saw Kakashi and he stopped right in front of her. "Kaya, what are you doing? Get out of here!"

Kaya walked around her sensei and towards the bear again, her fists clenched, her eyes flashing with anger. She felt the Chakra that she had used as a kid. It became visible, orange and black, and it flowed around her, throwing her hair all over the place. This was her village now. She wasn't going to let it be destroyed like she did her last village.

Kaya saw Sasuke, he was covered in blood, and he was holding a kunai in his hand.

"Sasuke, stop," Kaya said. "Let me handle this."

Sasuke looked at her. "What?"

Kaya looked back at him and her eyes changed from blue to red. "I refuse to let my village be destroyed again."

Kaya looked up at the bear. It threw some Jonin ninja away and looked down at her, she took a step forward and raced towards it.

"Kaya, don't be foolish!" Sasuke called. Kaya didn't listen.

The bear grinned and swung its paw in Kaya's direction.

"Kaya!!!!!!" Sasuke shouted.

Kaya jumped up and her feet landed on the bear's paw. She raced up its arm with a kunai in her hand.

The bear roared and tried to shake her off but she reached its neck and cut a scar into its shoulder.

The bear reached for her with its other arm and claws hit its back, stopping Kaya from running to the other shoulder.

"Kaya, get back here!" she heard Kakashi call.

Kaya jumped onto its head and stabbed her kunai down. The bear roared and violently shook its massive head. Kaya lost her grip on the kunai and fell to the ground near the south gates. She hit the ground and cringed, her eyes turned blue again.

The bear turned around to her, its shining red eyes gazing down at her.

She stood up. "That's right big guy, come this way!"

The bear walked towards Kaya and she walked backwards into the trees. She made hand-signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Clones of Kaya appeared and turned and ran through the forest with the giant grizzly chasing after them. Kaya jumped on its back and ran up to its neck without it knowing.

_Let's hope I know what I'm doing_. She thought. _Because if this doesn't work, then I'm dead_.

The clones stopped and disappeared when the bear swung its paw at them. It roared in frustration and Kaya tried to focus.

The bear noticed her on its shoulder and she opened her eyes just in time to move out of the way of a giant claw that could have killed her.

"Aaahhhh!!!!!!" Kaya cringed and blood spat out of a long wound on her right arm.

The bear shook itself and Kaya's feet slipped from under her, making her fall. The bear swung a paw at Kaya and she put her arms over her face and she was hit and thrown away.

_Damn it_! She thought as she fell towards the ground. _I thought it would work_!

Kaya was about to hit the ground but someone grabbed her in their arms and they jumped to the earth below them.

Kaya looked up at her rescuer. "Itachi?" she said in a confused and surprised voice.

"Hey kid," Itachi said and put her on her feet. "Didn't you realize that you couldn't fight this thing alone? That's why Deidara and Sasori came to warn you."

"Well the ninja at my village weren't very strong to take it down," Kaya said and held her arm. "I thought that if I could lead it away I could use my Jutsu......"

"What Jutsu?" Itachi asked.  
Kaya didn't get the chance to reply because Deidara ran over. "Itachi, I'll take her from here."

Itachi nodded and ran off towards the bear.

"Come on, kid," Deidara said and went to grab her arm but paused. "Oh damn. Are you okay?!"

"Fine," Kaya said, although her voice revealed her pain and she fell to her knees, holding her arm. Blood was all over her arm and Deidara crouched down beside her.

Kaya saw Sasori's metal threads wrap around the bear but it broke free. She recognized the cloaks of all the Akatsuki members, they were all there.

Deidara put a hand on Kaya's shoulder. "Come on, we gotta get you outta her."

"Ow!" Kaya said and Deidara pulled his hand away.

"Sorry, I forgot about that."

"Forgot about what?" Kaya asked.

He showed her his hand and Kaya nearly jumped to her feet when she saw a mouth on the palm of his hand.

"Deidara!"

Kaya and Deidara turned and looked at another Akatsuki member. One that scared Kaya a little.

"What is it Zetsu?"

"You should go fight the bear. Pain wants to make sure young Kaya is safe," Zetsu replied.

Deidara nodded and ran off.

Zetsu kneeled down to Kaya and she tried not to show the fear in her eyes as she looked at the giant green jaws over his head. He looked like he was half human and half Venus fly trap! He also had black on one side of his face and white on the other.

"Come on, kid," Zetsu said.

Kaya looked to where the other Akatsuki members were. They were fighting the bear, and they were having no luck. "You guys can't manage the grizzly," she said.

"Well what do you suggest?" Zetsu replied. "You can't fight it."

Kaya looked at him. "Yes I can."

"But you're arm is covered in blood, you're weak and Pain wants you out of here."

Kaya stood up, gripping her arm. She looked at Pain, he got knocked away by the bear, and he had blood on his face. The others were no better.

"Tell the others to back away from the bear," Kaya told Zetsu.

"What?!"

"Do it!"

Zetsu growled a little, clearly displeased to be taking orders from a 13 year old, but he ran off towards the group.

Kaya was about to follow when her shoulder was grabbed. She turned around and saw Kakashi and her teammates.

"Kaya, are you alright?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at her arm.

"I'm fine," Kaya replied and tried to follow Zetsu but she couldn't.

"Kaya, what are you trying to do?" Kakashi challenged. "Follow the Akatsuki and get yourself killed?!"

"I'm not going to," Kaya replied. "I can destroy this thing."

"With what? You're Bird Jutsu thing?" Sakura said. "You don't stand a chance!"

"Shut up," Kaya growled. "Let me go, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kaya, you're a thick-head," Kakashi growled. "Stay here."

"They need help! They won't be able to kill that thing! They'll get killed!"

"And that matters, why?" Sasuke asked. "They're gonna die sooner or later so it doesn't matter."

"I thought you wanted them dead?" Kakashi challenged again.

Kaya looked at him with such a glare he let her go. "They need help."

Kaya watched her friends back away and she heard footsteps behind her. "Kaya, what is Zetsu getting at? You can't fight that thing in your condition."

Kaya turned to Pain. "I'll be fine, I can take that thing down."

"No you can't-"

"Trust me!"

Pain locked eyes with Kaya, she looked absolutely serious. He sighed. "Okay, but I'll make sure you don't get hurt."

Kaya nodded and went to follow Pain.

"Kaya you're crazy!"

Kaya turned and faced Katana. "I don't have time to talk about this."

"You don't have fighting experience! You can't fight that bear!"

"I can," Kaya said. "I have a Jutsu that will kill it with one blow."

"And what Jutsu is that?" Katana growled. "You're not strong enough!"

Kaya growled back and turned to follow Pain. She ran with Pain down the hill to the bear and all the Akatsuki members ran back to stand with them.

The bear drew itself up to its full height and Kaya took a deep breath and made ten different hand-signs. She focused, closed her eyes and she felt her Chakra building up. This Jutsu took up more than half of her Chakra when used fully. She put out her left hand and a ball of Chakra formed.

"What the?!" Deidara exclaimed. "Her Chakra is visible!!!!!"

The blue ball of Chakra kept building up until it was nearly four times bigger than her fist. Lightning burst from it and flowed everywhere, making the Akatsuki members stand back a little, even Pain. The Chakra looked like blue fire.

"What is this!?!?!?!" Hidan asked.

Pain didn't reply, he just blinked. He thought the Triple-Tailed Tiger was powerful. Kaya was in a whole different class of power. This was a Jutsu that only special Haruta people have learned. This was one of the strongest Jutsu's ever known.

"Pain, what kind of Jutsu is this?" Itachi asked, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the lightning.

"This is what makes her so strong," Pain replied.

The bear was no further than 100 meters away and Kaya's eyes snapped open.

"Lightning Flame!!!" Kaya said and the Chakra got a little bigger and the lightning became louder. Everyone from the Akatsuki tensed up as Kaya took a step forward and bolted towards the gigantic bear, they were ready to go help her if she needed it.

Kaya raced towards the bear, her eyes shining blue.

The bear swiped a paw at her but she jumped on top of it and ran up its arm. It roared and went to strike her with its other paw. Kaya jumped into the air and went higher than the bear's head. She came down and the bear put its paw up to slash its claws at her. She jumped onto its paw and ran down its arm, going for the head.

Kaya ran straight down the arm. She came closer and closer to her target.

The bear turned its head to face her, showing its white, blood-stained teeth and flashing its red eyes with fury.

"Lights out!" Kaya smiled. "It's your bedtime. Permanently!"

**SLAM**!

Kaya's attack slammed into the bear's neck and the electricity flowed through its body, making his whole body shudder. The flame burned through its neck and its body burst into flames.

The bear roared in pain and begun to fall backwards. Kaya held onto some fur and the bear hit the ground, knocking trees out of its way or crushing them beneath it. The bear was dead.

Kaya tried to stand, but she had used way too much energy. She had already been weak from the loss of blood, and using the Lightning Flame took up the rest of her strength.

The body of the bear was slowly burning away by the flames and soon, Kaya was lying on solid ground, the body was gone and the ashes were gone, only trees were left.

She saw the Akatsuki come over and Pain lifted her up. "You alright, kid?"

Kaya gave a tiny nod, that was all she could manage. She was too weak to reply with words.

Pain smiled and he began to carry her back to Kakashi and the others.

Pain handed her to Kakashi and he looked at her. He put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "That was brave, kid. You're very strong," he smiled. Kaya smiled back and gave another tiny nod.

Kaya noticed Sasuke watching Itachi, they looked alike. But Sasuke was really tensed.

"Why are you helping Kaya?" Katana asked Pain. "You're the ones who destroyed her Clan!"

"We want to make up for our mistakes," Pain said, looking back at Kaya. "We never wanted things to be this way."

Kaya closed her eyes, she was exhausted.

"We have to go," Itachi said, looking at Pain.

Pain nodded. "Kaya needs to go to the hospital. Using that Jutsu takes up more than half of her Chakra when it is fully used. And her arm looks no better."

Kakashi nodded. "She's safe in our hands."

Pain turned and led the rest of the Akatsuki away.

"Let's get Kaya to the hospital," Sasuke said and they made their way back to the village.

"Uh... what.... where am I?" Kaya mumbled, opening her eyes. Everything was blurry for a few moments, then her eyes adjusted. She was in a white room and she was lying on a white bed.

She tried to put her arms on the bed to help her sit up but she couldn't move her right arm, it was in a sling. She used her other arm and she sat up. "What is this place?"

Kaya heard a knock at the door.

"Kaya, can I come in?" came a woman's voice and the door opened. "There are some people here to see you."

Kaya watched as Kakashi, her teammates, Katana and the Hokage came in, following a woman dressed in white with a clip board.

The woman left and closed the door.

"It's good to see you're awake," Naruto said.

"Where am I?" Kaya asked.

"You're in the hospital," the Hokage replied. "You've been unconscious in here for a week now."

"A _week_!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" Kaya jumped up but Kakashi forced her to sit back on the bed. "What... how... what happened to me?!?!"

"You got badly hurt in your arm and you used a very powerful Jutsu and you killed the giant bear," Katana said. "And then Pain got you and brought you to us."

Kaya looked at the Hokage. He didn't look happy.

"I'm in trouble aren't I?" Kaya looked out the window.

"What you did was intentionally to help the Akatsuki, correct?" the Hokage asked.

"Half and half," Kaya mumbled. "They only showed up after I led the bear away. Itachi saved me after the bear hurt me and threw me away."

Kaya didn't miss the look of fury on Sasuke's face.

"Am I gonna get punished for this?" Kaya asked.

"What you did to try and help the Akatsuki is almost like a betrayal to the village," the Hokage said and Kaya flinched. "But because you led the bear away to help the village, you saved more people from dying. You are considered a hero. You will not be punished. But you _have_ to stay away from the Akatsuki! They're bad news to every village and they are blood-thirsty, elite ninja with their own abilities."

Kaya nodded. "Itachi has the Sharingan, somehow. Kisame is a fish or snake guy. Zetsu is like a Venus fly trap person. Deidara has mouths on the palms of his hands. Hidan looks like the Grim Reaper. Sasori has his metal threads. Pain has........."

"You," Sasuke said bitterly.

"What?!"

"Pain has you," Sasuke said. "He only wants to use you for your strength! He doesn't care about you at all!"

"If Pain wants to use me for my strength, and if he doesn't care about me, why would he help me more than once and not kidnap me and force me to join the Akatsuki?" Kaya challenged.

"How should I know?"

"Because you brought it up!" Kaya growled. "And I have one question I want answered."

"Yeah, what?" Sasuke asked, looking away from her.

"Why do you and Itachi look so much alike?"

Sasuke's gaze snapped back to Kaya. "What?"

"You and Itachi look alike. How is that?"

"Uh..."

"You don't know?" Sakura exclaimed. "Sasuke and Itachi are-"

Sasuke covered Sakura's mouth. "Don't say anything!"

"No, let her finish!" Kaya growled. "I want to know the truth. I want to know why you and Itachi look alike, I want to know how Itachi has the Sharingan, and I want to know why he destroyed your Clan."

Sasuke looked at her. "Fine, I'll tell you."

The Hokage nodded. "The rest of you come, leave these two to talk."

Kaya waited until the room was cleared out. "So..?"

"Itachi has the Sharingan because he was part of the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke said.

Kaya blinked. _That was quite a shock_, she thought. _Not, I had already thought of that_.

"He destroyed our Clan, because he wanted to test his power. After that, he joined the Akatsuki."

"Okay, now to my first question," Kaya said. "Why is it that you both look the same?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked out the window. "He is my brother."

Kaya nearly hit the roof. "Your _brother_!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Sasuke nodded. "That's right."

"Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"I don't know!"

"I thought you were my friend."

Sasuke looked stunned. "What?! I am your friend!"

"Then why not tell me the truth earlier, why get mad at me for stupid reasons. And......" Kaya smiled a little evilly, looking at the ground.

"And what?" Sasuke asked, looking nervous.

Kaya looked back up at Sasuke. "Why get jealous when I'm with Pain?"

Sasuke took a step back. "What do you mean..... I.... uh....."

Kaya shook her head. "You're so predictable."

Sasuke sighed. "That obvious, huh?"

"Yep," Kaya nodded and yawned.

"I'll leave you to rest," Sasuke said and left without another word.

Kaya shrugged and went to sleep in her sitting up position.


	9. Chapter 9

A ninja was sitting on the ground in a small clearing, the moon shone above his head and lit the earth below in its silver light. He heard a rustle in the trees and moved his head to the side just in time to avoid a blow from a kunai.

Another ninja jumped out from the trees and attacked him. He stood up and blocked the flying fist.

The attacker did a high-kick to try and hit him in the face but he grabbed their leg and threw them away. The attacker got back up and threw some shuriken. The guy jumped out of the way and the shuriken stabbed into the tree behind him.

The attacker was getting frustrated but was suddenly pushed down to the ground on their stomach with a kunai to their neck.

"Too slow," the guy smiled.

"Well what do you expect!" the attacker growled. "My sensei is training me super hard and I'm tired! Now get off of me, Sasori!"

Sasori got up. "Kaya, you need to train a little harder." He helped her up.

"How can I when I'm training with Kakashi-sensei and my squad during the day and training with you at night!? I'm exhausted and I barely get any sleep!" Kaya complained.

Sasori shook his head and laughed. "Alright, tomorrow night you can get some rest."

Kaya sighed with relief. "Thank you, Sasori."

"Now, the sun will be rising in two hours," Sasori put a hand on her shoulder. "You should go home and get some rest."

Kaya nodded and the Akatsuki member took off. She made hand-signs. "Bird Transformation Jutsu!"

She turned into a small bird and she flew into the sky, heading for home. It had been three months since she got out of hospital and she had been going on missions with her sensei and teammates and training with them during the day. Whilst she also trained with Sasori during the night. That had been happening for a month. She rarely ever got sleep and Kakashi kept asking how much sleep she got the recent night. She had to make up different excuses every time to avoid getting caught. She even nearly fell asleep during missions. So far she had done seven missions as a Genin. All D rank missions; easy, boring missions.

Kaya flew over the south gates and flew through her open window. She transformed into herself again and practically collapsed onto her bed, falling asleep instantly.

"Kaya, come on wake up already! We'll be late for training!"

Kaya opened her eyes and through her blurry vision she saw Naruto. "What?"

"We have to go see Kakashi-sensei at the Hokage's building for out eighth mission," Naruto said. "The others are waiting outside."

Kaya got up and looked outside her window to see Sasuke and Sakura waiting.

"Hurry up!" Sakura said. "You can't sleep all day you know!"

_I know_, she thought. _But it doesn't help when I train with Sasori at nighttime. You'd be the same if you had to do it_.

Kaya jumped out her window and Naruto followed. Kaya yawned.

"Why are you always so tired?" Sakura asked. "I mean Kakashi does train us pretty hard but we're not tired after a good night sleep."

"Who says I get a good night sleep," Kaya yawned again.

"What kept you up this time?" Sasuke asked.

Kaya thought for a moment but she couldn't come up with an excuse this time. "I......"

Her teammates looked at her.

"I guess I just couldn't sleep," Kaya looked at the ground.

"Kakashi-sensei won't buy that," Naruto said.

"I'll get better sleep tonight," Kaya said, remembering that Sasori had given her tonight off.

They shrugged. "Let's just go before Kakashi-sensei comes looking for us," Sasuke said.

Kaya yawned one more time before following her squad. The walked passed villagers and Kaya received many glares. It had been that way since she had fought the bear. Everyone seemed to think she was working with the Akatsuki against the village. Everyone was edgy around her and she felt a little awkward

Kaya looked at the ground but was suddenly knocked over.

Kaya looked up and saw Katana. "Katana? Get off of me!"

Katana got up and helped Kaya up. "Sorry," she panted.

"What are you doing this time?" Kaya rolled her eyes.

"Training," Katana said. "Ebisu-sensei told us to do something and make him mad and then he would try to catch us and we'd have to fight him."

Kaya sighed, even talking was an effort for Katana. "And what did you do to make him mad?"

Katana smiled and winked. "I put pink paint on him!"

"Oh, that's bound to make him mad," Kaya said, looking past Katana at Katana's sensei. "I can tell."

Katana looked over her shoulder. "Oh crap! I gotta go. See ya!"

Kaya watched Katana run off and Ebisu ran passed them and after her.

"Come on, Kaya," Naruto said and she followed her squad again.

They walked passed a couple of kids playing together. They stopped playing and looked at Kaya.

"Hey, isn't that the insider for the Akatuski or something like that?" one kid whispered to another.

"Yeah," one of the kids whispered back. "My mother says she's dangerous."

Kaya clenched her fists. _Everyone hates me now_! She thought. _Even though I was intentionally saving the village! They don't understand that the Akatsuki showed up later on_!

She walked passed the kids and avoided the glares she got from other villagers.

"Ignore them, Kaya," Naruto assured her.

"Easy for you to say!" Kaya said. "You're not the one getting the glares!"

"No, but they hate me just as much," Naruto said. "I have the Nine-Tailed Fox in my body, thanks to the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime."

Kaya sighed, she knew that Naruto had the demon in his body, but the village was slowly starting to accept him, now that he was becoming more responsible as a ninja.

They reached the Hokage's building and went inside to find the Hokage, Kakashi and a female villager.

"Ah, you're finally here," Kakashi said. "Your eighth mission is easy."

The woman looked at Kaya. "I'm allowing this child to find my cat!"

Kaya sighed.

"Couldn't we give this mission to another squad?" the woman asked.

"I'm sorry miss," Kakashi said. "But all the other squads have their own missions. This is the only squad able to do this mission."

The woman eyed Kaya. "Fine, but if she hurts my cat-"

"Don't worry, we'll bring your stupid cat back in one piece!" Kaya growled and turned to leave.

"Kaya, that is no way to talk to people!" the Hokage said.

"Tell her that!" Kaya spat. "Are we gonna do this stupid mission or what?!"

Kakashi nodded and handed her, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto headpieces with a microphone.

They put them on and ran out of the village, Kakashi followed.

Kaya and her teammates were in the forest, Kaya was wide awake now. She was gonna show that woman that she wouldn't hurt her cat.

Kaya heard a noise in the bushes and a brown blur ran for it into another bush.

"We've found the cat," Naruto murmured into his microphone.

"Okay, get into position to grab it," Kaya heard Kakashi's voice and she backed against a tree. The others spread around the small clearing the cat was in.

"I'm ready," Sasuke said into the microphone.

"Me to, believe it!" Naruto said.

"So am I," Sakura added.

"Let's just do this," Kaya said.

"Wait...." Kakashi said. "Now!"

They jumped into the clearing and Naruto grabbed the cat. But he fell on his back and the cat started clawing and biting him.

"We've got it," Sasuke said into his microphone.

Naruto yelled into his microphone. "What the hell kind of mission is this!?!?!?! I HATE CATS!!!!!"

Sakura went to take the cat but it scratched her and then Sasuke tried grabbing it but it jumped away from them.

Kaya sighed and grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and it tried scratching her but it couldn't reach her. "Let's go."

"Oh, my poor cat!!!!" the woman cried and took it from Kaya. "Did she hurt you, kitty?"

Kaya rolled her eyes. "I told you we'd bring it back in one piece."

"That's no way to treat a cat!!!" the woman growled, hugging the cat close to her.

"Well it was the only way to carry it," Kaya growled back. "Maybe we should have let the feral thing run away!"

"Cut it out, Kaya!" Kakashi warned.

"That's just what I'd expect to hear from a traitor like you," the woman spat at Kaya.

Kaya clenched her fists so tight that blood dripped from her palms. "I am so sick of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she snarled and turned and left the building.

"Kaya, wait!" Kakashi said and caught up with her just outside.

"What?!" she spat. "You heard what that woman said. Everyone in the village thinks that way to!"

"No they don't-"

"Have you heard what they say!? Have you seen the glares they give me!? They think I'll betray the village! They think I'm in league with the Akatsuki!" Kaya's voice was tight with anger, she didn't even care that she was talking that way to her sensei.

"Kaya, calm down," Kakashi said. "I'm sure it'll die down eventually."

"Eventually," Kaya rolled her eyes. "Thanks a bunch, that really helps." Kaya turned and left.

"Where are you going?"

"Home, I'm tired," Kaya growled and ran off.

Kaya ran through the village and stopped to catch her breath just below her window.

She received glares from the villagers but she was so angry that she sent the glares back at them, not even caring how scared they looked. She jumped up to her window and went inside. She lay down on her bed and put her hands behind her head. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

"Kaya, you awake?"

Sasuke walked in and looked around the house. "Kaya?"

He saw her lying on her bed, her eyes were closed. He walked over to her and sat beside her bed. "Kaya, wake up."

Kaya opened her eyes and blinked at him.

"Are you okay?"

Kaya shrugged and looked out the window, it was dark and the moon was just starting to rise.

"The woman felt a little bad after speaking that way to you," Sasuke said. "The Hokage had a word with her and she looked a little upset."

Kaya shrugged again.

"Kaya, are you even paying attention?" Sasuke asked and put a and on her shoulder.

Smoke rose up and he stood up and stepped back. "What the?"

The smoke disappeared and he saw a log where Kaya had been.

"Aw man, if she's not here," Sasuke sighed. "Then where is she?"

Kaya threw her fist and smashed it through the tree trunk, making the tree fall to the ground. Kaya took her hand back and did a back kick, crumbling a rock. She stopped, panting and looked at what she had done. Trees were knocked down and crumbled rocks were everywhere. She was trying to take her anger out on everything to calm down, but it wasn't working!

Kaya went to punch a rock but her arm was grabbed. "You shouldn't strain yourself like that. You're knuckles are bleeding."

The person let her go and Kaya fell to her knees, exhausted, she had dirt all over her face and arms and she looked at her knuckles, they _were_ bleeding.

"Who worked you up like this?" the guy said and crouched beside her.

"The people of my village keep thinking I'm a traitor, and that I'm in league with the Akatsuki! They keep glaring at me and even the children hate me. It's just so frustrating because the whole village doesn't trust me!" Kaya slammed her fist into the ground.

"We're sorry," the guy sighed.

"It's not your fault, Pain!" Kaya panted and went to punch the ground again but Pain grabbed her fist.

"That's enough, Kaya. Calm down," he said. "How long has this been going on for?"

"Ever since I killed that stupid bear!" Kaya growled and threw a stone.

"So they think that because we helped you that you're with us." Pain sighed. "I can't imagine what you're going through. But my village was the same when they thought I betrayed them."

"What did you do?" Kaya asked.

"I left," Pain replied. "And then I formed the Akatsuki and form then on I've been a killer, the Akatsuki are my family now."

"Why do you kill people?"

"Because it's the only way we can stay alive. Ninja come after us and we have to defend ourselves. We kill because we have to. Here, give me your hands."

Kaya gave Pain her hands and he pulled out some bandages. He wrapped them around her knuckles.

"Thanks," she replied and she took her hands back. "Pain, what should I do?"

Pain looked at her. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the only person listening at the moment," Kaya said. "My sensei isn't much help and my teammates don't help me, they just tell me to ignore it but it' driving me crazy! I don't know what to do!"

"Well I think you should give it some time, you never know, it might die down."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Well then you have two choices," Pain said, looking a little concerned for her sake.

"What choices?"

"Just ignore it and put up with it..... or leave."

"Leave?! Where would I go? I'm sure there won't be any other villages that would take me in if I carry this bandanna."

"That' true," Pain said. "If you leave the village and go to another one they'll know you ran away and they won't accept you."

"Then what could I do?"

"Well I'm not saying this is what you have to do...." Pain started.

Kaya looked at him.

"But there's always a place open for you with the Akatsuki," he finished.

Kaya was just a little bit startled. "Join the Akatsuki?"

"Well if you do leave your village then there'll be ninja's after you. You could join the Akatsuki and get stronger so that you can fight off the ninja's."

"So you're saying I'm not strong yet?" Kaya cocked an eyebrow at him, but showed the humor in her eyes. "You know, we never got around to our fight."

Pain laughed and ruffled her hair. "Not tonight, kid. Maybe another time. You need to get some rest. You're exhausted from smashing those rocks and knocking down those trees."

"Yeah I guess you're right," Kaya sighed.

"How's Sasori's training been going anyway?" Pain asked. "He told me he let you off tonight because you were exhausted last night."

"It's been good," Kaya replied. "Sasori is a good trainer. At least he teaches me to actually fight. All Kakashi-sensei does is teach us how to defend."

Pain shook his head. "That's because Kakashi doesn't want you to get into too many severe fights."

"That sucks!" Kaya complained but smiled. "Why don't you train me one night!?"

Pain laughed. "Are you sure you could keep up with my training?"

"If I can keep up with Sasori's training then yes."

"Sasori told me you were half asleep last night that you couldn't match his speed! And because you're a Haruta, you should be at least twice his speed at your age."

Kaya shrugged. "I was half asleep!"

"That shouldn't matter."

Kaya looked at him with an evil smile. Then she pushed him over.

Kaya and Pain laughed for a few moments before Deidara and Sasori jumped down from the trees. "Pain!"

Pain sat up. "What is it?"

"Itachi's been hurt," Deidara exclaimed.

Pain and Kaya jumped up.

"How?" Pain demanded.

"We ran into a large group of ninja and one of them had a crossbow. It got Itachi's left arm," Sasori said. "Another arrow got his left shoulder."

Pain took a step toward his followers. "Where is he now?"

"Where our hideout is," Sasori replied. "He's in bad shape."

Pain turned to Kaya. "I have to go."

"Do you need help?" Kaya asked.

Pain smiled but shook his head. "No, we'll manage. You should get back to your village and rest."

Kaya sighed and looked at the ground. "Okay."

Pain walked over to her and put a hand on her head. "Don't forget, kid. There's always a place in the Akatsuki for you if you want to join us."

Kaya nodded and Pain followed Deidara and Sasori away.

Kaya watched them disappear before she sat down. _A place in the Akatsuki_, she thought. _Could I possibly consider joining the people who destroyed my Clan_?

"Kaya?"

Kaya looked over her shoulder and saw Sasuke and Naruto. "Hi guys."

"What happened here?" Naruto asked, looking at all the fallen trees and crumbled rocks.

"I was a little angry," Kaya sighed.

"A _little_ angry?! It looks like you tried destroying the entire forest!!!!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What happened to your hands?" Sasuke asked.

Kaya looked at her knuckles that were bandaged up. "They started bleeding."

"Where did you get the bandages from?" Sasuke said.

"I brought them with me because I thought I'd hurt myself, being so angry and all," Kaya thought quickly. She couldn't tell them that she was with Pain again. It had been three months since she was caught with the Akatsuki. She hadn't been caught since then.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged glances and shrugged. "Come on, we should get back to the village. The Hokage sent us to go find you," Sasuke said. "Because I discovered your little substitution trick."

Kaya smiled and stood up before following her friends back to the village. She knew she would get into trouble, but she didn't care. She reached the village gates and passed the two ninja's on guard, Iruka and Pinky-Pervy-sensei Ebisu. She didn't even hear a word from them, they just watched her pass, which made her even more mad. They didn't trust her anymore either.

She followed Sasuke and Naruto through the quiet village and to the Hokage's building. They walked in.

"Lord Hokage," Sasuke said. "Kaya is here."

"Come in," the reply came and the three of them walked into the room.

"Kaya," the Hokage addressed her. "Why did you leave the village?"

"Because I was so angry," Kaya looked at the ground. "I wanted to take my anger out on something. I left the village and I started hitting everything, trees, rocks... I smashed basically everything around me until my knuckles bled." She showed the Hokage the bandages on her hands.

"The villagers are concerned, that is all," the Hokage said. "They think you were working with the Akatsuki because they were with you when you fought the bear."

"But I'm not!" Kaya said. "They keep glaring at me and it's really getting to me!"

"You just have to learn to ignore it-"

"Is that all you're ever gonna tell me?! That I should just ignore it all!? It may sound easy but you're not the one who this is all pointing at! It's directed at me and I can't take it!"

"Kaya, we know how hard it is for you."

"No, you don't," Kaya growled quietly.

The Hokage looked at her. "Kaya, we understand your position. We know how you feel-"

"Stop saying that!!!!!!!" Kaya growled, looking at the ground with her fists clenched. "You always say that but the truth is that you _don't_ know how I feel! You _don't_ understand my position! The only person that _can_ understand what it's like to lose their entire Clan is Sasuke! So don't be all happy saying you know what I'm going through when you _DON'T_!!!!!!!!!"

The Hokage was about to speak but Kaya turned and ran off out of the building and into the village. She got to her house and jumped in through the window, grabbing her small bag of ninja gear. She brought it to the window and made hand-signs. "Bird Transformation Jutsu!"

Kaya turned into an eagle and grabbed the strap of the bag in her talons. She jumped up and flew out her window.

"Kaya!"

Kaya looked back over her wing and saw Sasuke and Naruto.

"Kaya come back! Where are you going?!" Naruto called.

"Away from here!" Kaya called back. "I can't take this anymore! I'm getting out of here!!!!"

"So what, you're just gonna abandon your training and leave the village?" Sasuke challenged. "Kaya, come back!"

"It's too late, Sasuke," Kaya said, circling around them in the sky. "It's far too late now."

Kaya turned and flew away, over the village gates.

"Kaya!!!!!!" Naruto yelled.

Kaya didn't turn around, she couldn't stay in a village that refused to accept her because she fought the bear with the Akatsuki beside her. She couldn't sit back and take the rumors and glares from the villagers like others probably could. She had to get out of there before she got too angry and harmed one of the villagers. But she didn't know where to go.

Her eyes widened when she remembered what Pain had said. "Don't forget, kid. There's always a place in the Akatsuki for you if you want to join us."

She nodded, she knew where to go. She was going straight to the Akatsuki, that was the only place she could go.

"Lord Hokage!"

"What is it now, Sasuke and Naruto?"

"It's Kaya!" Naruto said. "She's left the village!"

The Hokage turned around. "WHAT!?"

"After everything that was said," Sasuke replied. "She grabbed her stuff from her home and left in her bird Jutsu. We couldn't stop her."

"Where would she go?" the Hokage said. "She can't go join another village, especially not with her headband."

Sasuke looked at the ground. "I think I know where she might be going."

"Where?" the Hokage asked him.

Sasuke looked up at the Third Hokage. "She could be going to the Akatsuki."

"Go find the Jonin that are on guard!" the Hokage said quickly. "If she's going to the Akatsuki we have to stop her!"

Sasuke and Naruto nodded before taking off.

They left the building. "What's up guys?"

Sasuke growled when he saw Katana. "What do you want?"

"What's the hurry?" Katana asked.

Sasuke thought for a moment and took a deep breath. "Katana we need your help."

Katana tilted her head. "What with?"

"We need you to go to the East gates and get the Jonin ninja on guard and tell them to see the Hokage," Sasuke said. "Naruto you go to the North gates. I'll go to the South."

Naruto and Katana nodded and all three of them went separate ways.

Sasuke ran through the village and into Sakura.

"Sasuke? Are you alright?!" Sakura said, helping him up.

"Kaya left the village," Sasuke said. "We need to round up the Jonin ninja's on guard."

"Do you need my help?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Katana went to the East gates, Naruto to the North, I'm going to the South. Can you round up any other Jonin ninja's in the village and tell them to go to the Hokage's building?"

Sakura nodded. "I'm on my way."

Sasuke watched her go before turning and running to the South end of the village. He reached the gates. "Iruka-sensei, Ebisu-sensei! The Hokage needs you at to go to his building!"

The two ninja's looked at him. "What ever for?" Ebisu asked.

"Kaya has left the village and the Hokage needs all the Jonin on guard to go find her, but he needs to see you now!"

They nodded and Sasuke ran with them back to the building.

They reached the building and Sasuke saw Katana returning with Kakashi and Asuma, and Naruto returning with Hayate and Kurenai. Sakura brought Gai, Yashamuru, Baki, Shizune and Chiriku. The Hokage came out to the steps outside his building. "Okay, all of you have a special mission to complete."

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"Kaya has run away from the village and Sasuke thinks she'll go to the Akatsuki," the Hokage said.

"Run away?!" Kurenai exclaimed. "Why?"

The Hokage looked at Kakashi and nodded.

Kakashi looked at the Jonin ninja's. "Have you noticed how the villagers have looked at Kaya since the day the giant bear came to attack our village?"

The Jonin ninja's looked at one another, murmuring and they all nodded.

"Well they think that she is in league with the Akatsuki and they also think that she'll betray the village. Kaya was infuriated by this."

The ninja murmured to one another with concern.

"Also," Sasuke said. "Tonight when me and Naruto went to find her, she was in the forest and she had punched down trees and shattered rocks all around her. She had bandages on her knuckles because they had started to bleed. We brought her back to the Hokage and things were said and she got angry and took off. Me and Naruto saw her in her Bird Transformation Jutsu with her bag of ninja stuff and she said she was leaving, then she left."

"So why would she go to the Akatsuki when they destroyed her Clan?" Shizune asked.

"Because she has nowhere else to go," the Hokage replied. "She can't go to another village and we all know that Pain has a soft spot for her so she'll go to him. To the Akatsuki is the only place she can go. And her hate for them isn't very deep, she has grown to accept that she will never bring her Clan back."

"But why is it such a big deal?" Ebisu asked. "She left the village of her own accord to go to the Akatsuki."

"She has so much power that she could destroy this village."

"But why would she?" Asuma said.

"Because of the way she was treated by the village," the Hokage replied. "The Akatsuki will make her hate the village and use her to destroy it."

"But how would she know that she could go to the Akatsuki?" Kakashi said. "Sasuke, you said she had bandages on her hands."

"Yes, but she told us that she brought them with her and put them on herself," Sasuke replied.

"That I don't get," Kakashi said. "She couldn't have known that she would hurt herself. My guess is that either Pain or one of the other Akatsuki members came and gave the bandages to her. She would have told them what was happening and they could have offered her a place among them."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "So that's why there was no blood on the top of the bandages! How could I have missed it?!"

"That's not important now," the Hokage said. "She needs to be found and brought back here before she can find the Akatsuki."

The Jonin ninja's nodded and they all took off in search of Kaya.

Kaya ran through the forest, she had her bag over her shoulder on her back and she was trying to find Pain. She had no idea where him and the Akatsuki would be.

"Kaya?"

Kaya stopped and looked around, panting.

Suddenly, Zetsu came out of the ground and she jumped away. "What are you doing here?"

Kaya looked at him and shook her head to clear away her shock. "I ran away from the village. I want to talk to Pain."

Zetsu nodded. "Come with me."

Kaya sighed before running after him, she wanted to stop running and rest! She followed Zetsu for a little while until they came to a small waterfall. She tilted her head and stood beside him. "Where are we?"

"This is our hideout," Zetsu replied. "Come on in."

Kaya followed him over to and into the waterfall. She was amazed to see a small tunnel behind the waterfall. She saw Itachi lying against the wall with Pain, Deidara and Sasori around him.

"The others are out keeping watch," Zetsu explained to Kaya.

Pain turned his head. "Kaya? Zetsu what is this? Why is she here?"

"She left her village," Zetsu replied. "She said she wanted to talk to you."

Kaya looked at Itachi, there was blood all around him with an arrow in his left shoulder and a wound in his left arm. She ran over, crouched down beside him, took her bag off, searched through it and pulled out her medical kit.

Itachi watched her as she pulled out some bandages and stuff to keep infection away.

"Itachi this will hurt, okay?" Kaya said and grasped the arrow in her hand.

Itachi nodded and tensed up. Kaya looked at Pain, seeking permission which she should have done before. Pain nodded and Kaya tightened her muscles. She pulled the arrow out and Itachi tried not to yell. She put on the stuff to keep infection away and she put bandages on his arm and shoulder.

"There, all done," Kaya said. "How does it feel?"

"Better," Itachi replied. "Thanks, kid."

Kaya smiled and put her medical kit away.

"Alright Kaya," Pain said. "You said you wanted to speak to me."

Kaya turned to Pain. "I left my village because I couldn't handle it. The Hokage kept saying he understood what I was going through but he didn't really. I grabbed my things and left. You said I had a place in the Akatsuki, and I came to ask if I could join you."

Pain smiled and looked at Deidara, Sasori, Itachi and Zetsu. They nodded, all with smiles. "Alright Kaya. You're welcome to join us."

"Thanks," Kaya said.

"What's the kid doing here?"

Pain looked up. "Konan, she is one of us now."

Kaya looked back at Konan, the Akatsuki member had blue hair with a flower on the right side. "Looks like I'm not the only kunoichi now."

Kaya smiled and Konan smiled. "Come on kid, I have a cloak that will fit you."

Kaya looked at Pain before standing up and following the blue-haired girl deeper into the cave. Konan opened a chest and pulled out a black cloak with the Akatsuki symbols on it. She handed it to Kaya and the young kunoichi put it on. It had no sleeves and it went down to the middle of her lower leg.

Konan gave her a thumbs up. "Looks good. You look awesome in Akatsuki uniform!"

Kaya smiled and followed Konan back to the others. Pain looked at her and smiled. "You're part of the Akatsuki now."

"You look good, Kaya," Deidara nodded. Zetsu, Sasori and Itachi nodded their agreement. Kaya smiled, she felt better to be with the Akatsuki. Maybe it was just because they welcomed her and they treated her better than the people of the Leaf Village did.

"But because you're still basically a Genin, you will need a trainer," Konan pointed out.

"Would you like me to continue her training, Pain?" Sasori asked.

Pain looked at Kaya who had a smile on her face. "No, that won't be necessary. I will continue her training."

Sasori nodded. "Good luck, Kaya," he laughed. "Pain is a tough trainer."

Kaya shrugged. "I think I'll be able to keep up. But now I can train during the day and not also at night."

Sasori smiled. "You look really tired."

Kaya shook her head. "I'm not tired." But then she accidentally yawned.

"Yeah right," Itachi said.

"Go get some sleep," Pain said.

Kaya was about to go to the back of the cave when she saw Hidan, Tobi, Kakuzu and Kisame run in.

"What's wrong?" Pain asked.

"Sshh!" Kisame said and everyone was quiet. Kaya crept over to the waterfall and looked out from the side.

She saw ninja run passed the waterfall but stopped. "Where could she have gone?!"

Kaya's eyes widened. They were ninja from the Leaf Village, and they were looking for her.

She noticed a certain ninja among them. Kakashi.

"She might be with the Akatsuki already," Kakashi said.

"Kaya!" Deidara hissed quietly and Kaya looked over her shoulder. "Come back here!"

Kaya looked back to the ninja before taking a step back but she tripped on a rock.

Before she could hit the ground, or even yelp, she was caught and her mouth was covered. She looked up and saw Pain. She blinked her thanks and he picked her up and carried her to the back of the cave where everyone else moved to. They waited in silence until they heard the ninja's leave, then Pain put Kaya back on her feet.

"That was close," Itachi said.

"They're looking for me," Kaya sighed.

"Are you reconsidering your place with us?" Pain asked her, sounding a little worried.

Kaya shook her head. "No, I won't go back to a village that will only hate me more for running away in the first place!"

Pain smiled and nodded. "That's our girl."

Itachi put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "You're definitely part of the Akatsuki now."

Kaya smiled."I'm part of the Akatsuki for good now."


	11. Chapter 11

"Lord Hokage."

"What is it? Have you found Kaya?"

"No, we haven't found a trace of her," Iruka said.

"We only found footprints but they disappeared," Kakashi added.

The Hokage nodded.

"Do you want us to keep searching?" Iruka asked.

"Lord Hokage!"

The Hokage turned and Katana skidded to a stop, holding something up to him. "Here are the scrolls you asked for," she panted.

The Hokage took them. "Thank you, Katana." Then he turned to the Jonin ninja's. "No, we need you all at the village. Kakashi, you still have a squad to train."

"Then what are we gonna do?" Kakashi asked. "Leave it and let her go to the Akatsuki?"

The Hokage shook his head. "There is someone else who will look for her," he said, looking down at Katana.

"Me?!" Katana exclaimed.

"Her?!" Kakashi and Iruka exclaimed.

"Yes. Kaya is good friends with Katana. I'm sure she'll be able to bring her back."

"And what if I can't?" Katana asked. "What if I ask her to come back and she refuses?"

"Fight her."

"I can't fight my friend!!!!" Katana said, shocked.

"You have to," the Hokage put a hand on her shoulder. "The village is counting on you now to bring Kaya back."

Katana's body started shaking and she shed a tear, looking at the ground. "Okay, I'll try. But what if I mess up? What if I........."

"You can do it," Iruka said.

Katana nodded and looked up, no longer shaking, but determination in her eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes to bring Kaya back!"

The Hokage smiled. "But you'll need to train for a couple of days to get stronger. Kaya might be expecting you and if she's with the Akatsuki, they'll be training her to."

Katana nodded again. "Alright. I'll train my very hardest!"

It was midday and Kaya was jumping through the trees, she was hot and exhausted. She jumped down from the trees and came to a river. She had a drink and caught her breath, looking around.

Suddenly, someone ran over to her and threw a punch. He was so quick she barely had time to think. She put an arm up and blocked it before doing a high-kick and sending him flying away.

The guy got up and ran at her, she ran at him. He threw some more punches at her and she blocked every single one. He went to do a high-kick but she grabbed his leg, spun and threw him away. She threw some shuriken but he put his hands on the ground and pushed himself out of the way and the shuriken hit a tree.

He came at her from the side but she grabbed his fist, turned her back to him and threw him over her shoulder. He landed on his back and she sat on his stomach and held a kunai to his throat.

"Alright, alright I give up!" the guy said.

Kaya smiled and put her kunai away. "How did I do?"

"Let me up first," the guy laughed. Kaya got off of him and helped him up. "That was excellent, you're shaping up well. You're a terrific fighter now. Nearly as good as me."

"Yeah, if it was a full out fight, there's no doubt that you would have killed me by now," Kaya smiled. "But in a few days, with your training lessons, I'll be as good a fighter as you, Pain."

Pain smiled and ruffled her hair. It had been a week since Kaya joined the Akatsuki and Pain had been training her really hard every day.

"Come on, let's get back," Pain said and led Kaya away.

After a short while, Kaya realized something. "Pain, this isn't the way back."

"I know, I want to show you something," Pain said and looked at her, who was walking beside him.

"Show me what?"

"You'll see."

Kaya walked with Pain through the trees and Pain had to put a hand out in front of her to stop her from walking over the edge of a high cliff. There was a giant waterfall and a huge lake below it.

"Wow!" Kaya exclaimed and looked over the cliff and down to the lake. "How deep is it?"

Pain laughed. "I knew that was coming. I don't know. But look over there." He pointed to the sides of the waterfall.

"Whoa, is that who I think it is?" Kaya said.

"Yep, those are the statues of the first and second Hokage's," Pain replied. "This is a sacred place, for all ninja."

"Even for you?" Kaya looked up at him.

He put a hand on her head. "Yep, even for me."

"Why?"

"Because this is where the first and second Hokage first fought. The statues were carved out in their honor."

"Wow..."

"Come on, we can have a closer look," Pain said and led her over to where they could step onto the water. "I've already taught you how to focus your Chakra and walk on water."

Kaya nodded and walked onto the water, feeling the Chakra in her feet. Pain followed her and they walked over to the statues. In both of the carved out rocks, the first and second Hokage were making hand-signs.

"This is so amazing," Kaya said. "I never knew this place existed."

Pain smiled. "I guess you weren't told about this place at the Leaf Village."

"Nope."

Kaya sensed movement and quickly pushed Pain out of the way but the kunai cut her arm and landed in the water.

Kaya looked up and took a step back. "K-Katana?!?!?!"

"Kaya!!!!" Katana yelled. "What the hell are you doing wearing an Akatsuki cloak?!?!?!?!?!"

"I'm one of them now," Kaya replied and helped Pain up.

Kaya and Pain went to the side of the lake where Katana was, but kept a good distance.

"Kaya you have to come back to the village," Katana said. She glared at Pain. "We've all been worried about you!"

"No, Katana," Kaya said. "I have to stay here now. I'm part of the Akatsuki. I won't go back to the village!"

"What?!" Katana exclaimed. "You have to come back! Your place is with the Leaf Village!"

"Her place is with us now," Pain said. "Leave her here and go."

"Not without Kaya!" Katana growled. "She's coming back with me!"

"No, she's staying here," Pain said and Kaya nodded.

"Kaya, everybody has been worried sick! Kakashi-sensei can't even train his squad properly and Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura can't eat or sleep!"

"That's their problem, not mine!" Kaya growled. "I'm not going back."

"You have to!"

"No she doesn't!" Pain said. "She has a choice."

Katana shook her head and ran at Pain, her fists clenched.

Kaya stood in front of Pain and Katana stopped, her face an inch from Kaya's.

"If you're going to fight anyone," Kaya hissed under her breath. "It'll be me."

"I'll knock you senseless if I have to," Katana growled. "If that's what it takes to bring you back with me."

"Try it!" Kaya said. "Pain, get back. Let me handle her."

"Alright, kid," Pain said and jumped onto a tree branch to watch.

Katana threw a punch at Kaya but the young Akatsuki girl blocked it and threw Katana onto the water.

Katana stood up and Kaya ran at her. Both of them blocked each others fists and Katana was pushed over to the edge of the waterfall.

"Give it up, Katana!" Kaya said. "You can't beat me."

Katana got up and made many different hand-signs. "Water style, Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Kaya watched as a water dragon rose up and its red eyes flashed angrily at her. It came down towards her.

Kaya stepped back and made ten different hand-signs. "Lightning Flame!"

A ball of Chakra formed in her hand and lightning flowed around it. Kaya threw it at the water dragon and it disappeared.

Kaya smiled at Katana. "I told you, you won't beat me."

Katana growled and threw some shuriken at her. Kaya crouched down and avoided them easily, despite them being super fast.

"Kaya, why won't you just come back with me?!" Katana growled. "Everyone wants you to come back!"

"Only because I'm so strong they think the Akatsuki will use me against them!" Kaya spat.

"That's not true!"  
"Oh really? Well, it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not going back!"  
Katana shook her head and ran at Kaya, a kunai in her hand.

Kaya jumped to the side and made hand-signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"  
In a few moments, after the smoke had passed, there was ten more of Kaya. All of them ran at Katana. Katana managed to make three go away, but she was punched by the other seven.

The clones disappeared and Kaya grabbed Katana by the feet, turning to the waterfall and throwing her over her shoulder.

Katana grabbed Kaya's shoulders and pulled Kaya with her over the waterfall, explosives fell out of Katana's shuriken pouch and exploded on the side of the cliff. The two ninja landed there a few moments after.

Kaya was lying on the tiny ledge and Katana was standing over her, holding Kaya by the shirt. "Kaya, the village is your home, your family. We need you back!" Katana growled.

"No you don't," Kaya growled. "Katana, you don't know what it's been like for me, to grow up without a family. You know what it's like to have that bond with a family and keep it. You don't know what it's like to have a family that loves you, and have a strong bond with them, only to have them torn away from you. You don't know what it was like for me to grow up without my family. When I came to the Leaf Village, no one cared. No one even thought of me as if I existed. So I became a troublesome kid to make myself noticed. When I re-met with Pain, yeah sure, I wanted to kill him because he destroyed my Clan. But he helped me graduate to a Genin, he made me see that even if I got revenge, I wouldn't get my Clan back. When I fought that bear and ended up in hospital for a while, the entire village begun to think of me as a traitor only because the Akatsuki was there. Two months after I got out of the hospital, Sasori trained me at nighttime. That was why I was always so tired and made up excuses for being slack during my daytime training."

Katana looked at her.

"But you will never understand why I truly left," Kaya looked right into her eyes. "My family is dead, my entire Clan is dead-"

"Because of the Akatsuki!" Katana growled. "You left and joined up with the enemy!"

"I joined them because they _became_ my family," Kaya said. "Itachi thought I was a brat at the start, and he still thinks I'm a brat, but he still cares about me, as do the rest of the Akatsuki. Konan thinks of me as a sister. And Pain is basically my sensei now. The Akatsuki may have destroyed my Clan, but they made up for that mistake. But how can I expect you to understand any of that? When you haven't been through what I have."

"Kaya, please, forget all of that. Forget about the Akatsuki! Come back to the village. The people of the village are like family to-"

"For you maybe!" Kaya growled quietly. "Not for me!"

Kaya got up and pushed Katana off the ledge and they both fell down towards the water. They both fell in and went under.

Kaya swam to the surface and pulled herself up and back onto the water. She was thrown back by a flying fist. "I'll drag you back to the village if I have to!" Katana growled.

"I won't go back!" Kaya growled in return.

"But, Kaya!" Katana said. "Everyone needs you back at the village! Sasuke needs you!"

Kaya shook her head and smiled. "None of that matters to me anymore! They will get over it. They will all forget me in a while. With the Akatsuki is where I belong now!"

"You belong with the village! And you need to come back with me. I'm going to stop you, because you need to come back."

"It's too late, Katana," Kaya growled and made ten different hand-signs. "It's far too late now."

Katana watched as a blue ball of Chakra formed in Kaya's hand and lightning flowed around it. The Chakra looked like a blue flame. "Lightning Flame!"

_Time to end this_, Kaya thought.

Katana made a few different hand-signs. "Armato Sumorata!"

A ball of Chakra formed in Katana's hand, and it looked blue-green almost aqua. It floated over her hand like water almost as if it could melt someone to death with its blow.

Kaya and Katana ran at each other across the water.

Kaya looked right into Katana's eyes. She didn't want to hurt her friend, but this was the only way. They two attacks collided with each other and Kaya felt heat from the Chakra ball from Katana.

Katana grabbed a kunai with her other hand and it flew up to Kaya's face. Kaya leaned her head down just in time to avoid the blow to the face. The kunai scratched across her bandanna and cut a scar through the middle of it.

The two attacks exploded and Kaya and Katana were thrown up to the top of the waterfall and towards were they first crossed paths.

Pain jumped down from his tree branch and grabbed Kaya before she hit the ground. Katana wasn't so lucky.

Kaya opened her eyes and Pain put her on her feet. Kaya slowly walked over to where Katana was lying on her back. She fell to her hands and knees and her face was above Katana's.

Katana opened her eyes and looked at Kaya.

"Katana, I'm not going back to the village," Kaya murmured, too tired to go use a louder voice. She grabbed Katana's kunai and stabbed it into the ground next to Katana's head.

"Why... not?" Katana panted.

"Because the Akatsuki is my family now," Kaya breathed.

Katana closed her eyes and fell unconscious.

Kaya took a few deep breaths and nearly fell to her side but Pain picked her up. "Let's get you home, kid," he smiled.

Kaya smiled back and closed her eyes, also falling unconscious.

Pain sighed. _She pushed herself too far again_. He thought before turning and leaving Katana on the ground, carrying Kaya away.

"Whoa! What happened?!"

"We met with one of her old friends," Pain replied and set Kaya down on the ground in the cave behind the waterfall. "Katana I think her name was. She wanted Kaya to go back to the village. The girl went to fight me but Kaya stopped her and fought her herself."

"Let me guess," Itachi sighed. "She over-used her Lightning Flame?"

"She used it twice," Pain said. "The first time was not as powerful but the finishing blow was full-out."

"And what about the girl?" Hidan asked.

"She's alive, barely," Pain said. "I left her where she was."

"Why does Kaya's bandanna have a scratch across the symbol?" Konan asked, crouching beside Kaya.

"The girl did it with a kunai," Pain replied.

"Now it proves that young Kaya isn't part of a village anymore," Sasori said. "Because, like most of us, we have scratches over our bandanna's to."

Pain nodded. He was one of them. So was Sasori, although he didn't wear it, Hidan, Itachi, Kakuzu, Kisame and Deidara. Now so was Kaya.

"What... where am I?"

Everyone looked at Kaya.

"So you're awake," Pain smiled.

"Don't worry, kid. You're with us," Itachi assured her.

Kaya opened her eyes and looked around. "What happened to Katana?"

Pain crouched beside her. "I left her where she was. I had to bring you back here."

Kaya moved and slowly stood up, holding the cave wall to support her. She walked towards the cave entrance.

"Where are you going?" Tobi asked.

"Katana can't just be left there," Kaya thought and stumbled a little. "Anything could happen to her...... uh..."

Kaya fell to her knees, a hand still on the wall.

"Kaya, you can't go out there in your condition," Pain said.

"But....... Katana........"

"She'll be fine," Kisame said.

Itachi walked over to Kaya. "I'll go keep watch over her until someone comes and finds her."

"Thank you, Itachi," Kaya breathed. "She's at the giant lake with the statues of the Hokage's......"

Itachi nodded. "Okay, but you need rest. You look exhausted."

"More than she usually does," Deidara added.

Kaya smiled while breathing slowly and Itachi took off.

Sasori went over to Kaya. "Come on, kid. You need some rest." Sasori put Kaya on his back and carried her to the back of the cave. He put her down and she fell asleep, leaning against the wall with her back. Sasori smiled and went to join the others. "She's already asleep."

"I expected that," Pain said. "She had been training half the day and then she had to use her Lightning Flame more than once to fight her friend."

"How hard did you train her today?" Kakuzu asked.

"I attacked her and she defended herself," Pain replied. "She's getting stronger. She beat me again."


	12. Chapter 12

Itachi looked around, he was at the lake with the statues of the first and second Hokage's, but he didn't see any girl.

He looked to the other side of the lake and he walked across the water. He saw a teenage girl with black hair and blue streaks, she was unconscious and there was a kunai stabbed into the ground near her head.

_So this is the girl_, Itachi thought. _I saw her on the day Kaya killed the bear_.

Itachi jumped up onto tree branch out of sight and kept watch over Katana, just as he had promised Kaya.

Soon enough, Itachi heard voices and turned his head to see Naruto and Sasuke.

"Katana!" Naruto called. "Katana where are you!?"

Itachi remained hidden as Naruto and Sasuke spotted Katana and ran over.

"What happened to her?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Kaya," Sasuke sighed. "If it was anybody else, she would be dead."

"So she's not dead?" Naruto asked him.

"No, she's breathing," Sasuke said, crouching down and putting two fingers on the side of her neck to check her pulse. "But she's exhausted."

"But why would Kaya do this? How do you know it was her?"

Sasuke pointed at the kunai, under it, half stabbed into the ground was a small bit of jet black hair. "Katana must have fought with Kaya," he said. "But Katana has been training and she even beat Kakashi-sensei. How could Kaya beat her?"

"Maybe Pain trained her," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "If he did, then that means she's super strong. What if he forces her to attack the Leaf Village?"

"Kaya won't do that!" Naruto growled. "Sure half the villagers don't care about where she's gone but she won't harm the village."

_Half the villagers don't care_? Itachi thought. _That must have been rough for young Kaya_.

"Sasuke...... Naruto...."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at Katana, her eyes were open, but she looked really upset. "I couldn't bring her back...." she said and started coughing. "She was too strong...................."

Naruto picked her up and put her on his back. "Let's get you back to the village."

"But....... Kaya."

"She'll be fine," Sasuke growled. "She's with Pain and the Akatsuki!"

Itachi nearly laughed when he heard Sasuke mention Pain's name with such bitterness.

Naruto and Sasuke turned and started walking away. Katana started coughing more violently as Naruto carried her.

When they were gone, Itachi jumped down from the tree and ran off back to the waterfall cave.

"Itachi? You're back sooner than I would have thought."

"Yeah, Sasuke and Naruto came to get the girl already," Itachi replied.

_Sasuke and Naruto_?

"Did they say anything?" Tobi asked.

"They think we'll use young Kaya to destroy the Leaf Village," Itachi said. "Katana woke up and basically said they couldn't leave without her but Sasuke said she'll be fine because she's with Pain and the rest of us."

"Oh really?" Pain said.

Itachi nodded. "But when he mentioned your name he spoke with such bitterness it was nearly funny."

Pain and the others laughed.

"He sounded pretty jealous," Itachi added. "He must like young Kaya."

_So I was right, he had been jealous when I was hanging out with Pain_.

"Did they say anything else?" Kisame asked.

Itachi nodded. "Naruto said that half the village didn't care about her and that Kaya would never attack the village."

_Half the village doesn't care, huh? I knew that much_.

Tobi looked to the back of the cave. "Poor kid, sounds like she had it tougher at the village than we thought."

"Well the night she came to us she had been smashing rocks and punching down trees until her knuckles bled," Pain said.

Deidara and Sasori nodded. "We saw it to."

"I reckon she's happier here with us now," Hidan said.

"No doubt," Itachi said. "Because we haven't seen any smashed trees or rocks. And she enjoys training with Pain."

"She's very strong," Pain said. "But she pushes herself too far all the time."

Pain felt arms wrap around his neck and a light-weight on his back.

"Oh really?" Kaya smiled, hanging off of him.

Pain looked over his shoulder to see Kaya grinning. "Yep, you train way too hard."

"No I don't," Kaya said and dropped down to the ground.

Pain turned around. "I thought you'd still be resting."

"Well I'm not tired anymore," Kaya shrugged. "Can I go for a run around outside?"

Pain rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I'm about to go on lookout duty," Sasori said. "Why don't you come with me, Kaya?"

"Really?!"

Sasori nodded. "If it's okay with Pain."

Kaya looked at Pain with pleading puppy dog eyes.

Pain laughed. "Of course you can. Now go on before I change my mind."

Kaya stood up straight and she ran after Sasori outside.

Itachi laughed. "She's a cute kid."

The others nodded agreement.

"I bet she's gonna wear herself out and Sasori will have to carry her back here," Deidara said.

"Katana? What happened to her?"

Naruto put Katana on a chair that the Hokage pulled out for her. She still looked exhausted.

"Kaya happened," Sasuke said. "They must have fought. But Kaya was stronger."

"She used her Lightning Flame..... twice," Katana breathed.

"TWICE!?!?!?!?!?" Naruto, Sasuke and the Hokage exclaimed.

Katana nodded. "She used it the second time as the finishing blow. I used my Armato Sumorata against it. But she was a lot stronger."

"Pain must be teaching her," the Hokage said. "Kaya is only a new Genin, she would never have this much power if Pain wasn't acting as her sensei."

"What should we do?" Sasuke asked. "Me and Naruto can take her on together."

"No."

"What?! But someone has to go after her!!!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, if Pain is training her, she'll be too strong even for you. The both of you need to train harder in case Pain uses her to try and destroy our village."

"But what if she doesn't? What if a year or so passes and we drop our guard and then she comes to attack us?"

"We will be ready," the Hokage said. "I do not wish to risk anymore of our ninja. We will leave her with the Akatsuki until she comes for us. We will be prepared to face her strength, whenever she may come."

"But what if she wants to come back?" Naruto asked.

"She won't."

Sasuke, Naruto and then Hokage looked at Katana.

"She won't come back, she made that clear. And now she even has a scar on her bandanna across the village symbol. I can guarantee she won't come back."

"You may be right, Katana," the Hokage said. "If the Akatsuki are making her stronger, she won't come back."

"I knew it."

"You knew what?" Sasori asked Deidara.

"That you'd have to carry young Kaya back here," Deidara smiled.

"How did she wear herself out this time?" Hidan asked, watching as Sasori lay Kaya down on the cave floor.

"She was running around everywhere and climbed almost every tree she could," Sasori said. "She has a lot of energy, that's for sure. But at one stage she was climbing to the very top of a tree. She made it but when she decided to come back down....."

"Let me guess, she fell out of the tree?" Pain asked.

Sasori nodded. "She wasn't watching where she put her feet and she slipped. But she has a bit of a graze on her arm."

Konan stood up and walked over to Kaya. She crouched down and inspected Kaya's arm. There was a pretty big graze and a bit of blood. "She's fine," Konan smiled and Kaya woke up. "Hey kid."

"Hello," Kaya smiled.

"I think you need to stop falling out of trees," Tobi said.

Kaya looked at him. "Tobi?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever take that mask off?"

Tobi had a brownish-orange mask on with one little hole so he could see through.

"I do, sometimes," Tobi replied.

Kaya blinked. "I want to see what you look like without the mask."

Tobi hesitated but sighed. "Yeah, okay."

Kaya watched as Tobi put a hand on his mask and took it off. Kaya blinked with surprise, he looked like a kid only three years older than her with black hair and a pale face. She looked at his eyes and jumped to her feet."You have the Sharingan too?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Tobi nodded. "I am also of the Uchiha Clan. My real name is Madara Uchiha."

Kaya tilted her head a little and looked at Itachi. "I thought you and Sasuke were the only survivors of the Uchiha Clan?"

"Actually, there was four of us," Tobi said and went over to sit beside Itachi. Kaya sat with them.

"Who was the fourth?" she asked.

"His name was Obito," Tobi said. "But he's dead now."

"What happened to him?"

Itachi and Tobi exchanged glances. "I killed him," Itachi said. "Because he betrayed us."

Kaya wasn't as shocked as she expected, Itachi had killed nearly his entire Clan so it wasn't a surprise that he killed Obito.

"Have you seen Kakashi's left eye?" Tobi asked Kaya. "You were one of his students."

"I haven't seen it," Kaya said.

"He has a Sharingan eye," Itachi said. "Obito gave it to him."

"Now Kakashi is known as the Copy Ninja because he has been able to copy over one hundred Jutsu's from other ninja," Tobi said.

"Wow," Kaya said and looked at the ground. "I never knew that."

"Now you do," Tobi smiled and put a hand on her head.

"Kaya."

Kaya looked over her shoulder. "Yes, Pain?"

"When you've rested for a few days, I'm gonna train you to fight full on," Pain smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

_**2 years later.**_

"It's the Akatsuki!"

"What do we do?!"

"Attack them!!!"

All eleven of the Akatsuki were standing in a line, facing an army of ninja. The ninja got their weapons ready and prepared to fight.

Pain looked down at the youngest Akatsuki member, she looked back at him. When Pain nodded, she stepped forward, her eyes blank, showing no emotion for what she was about to do. She blinked slowly and made ten different hand-signs.

The other ten Akatsuki watched as a blue ball of Chakra formed in the girl's hands, it looked like a blue flame. Lightning flowed around it and made a really loud noise as if there was a thunderstorm.

The ninja's ran at the Akatsuki and the girl stood her ground, the ball of Chakra growing and growing.

"Do it," Pain said when the ninja's were 2 meters away.

The girl nodded and threw her hand forward. The ball of Chakra blew up and every ninja was electrocuted by the lightning and burned to death by the blue flame. The girl listened in silence to their cries of pain. When the smoke disappeared, she looked at all the dead bodies and turned back to Pain.

He nodded and put a hand on her head. "Good job, kid."

Kaya smiled. "Let's get out here."

The other Akatsuki members laughed and Pain led them away, back to the waterfall cave.

"You're really strong now, kid," Hidan said to Kaya.

"Yeah, I never knew you'd be able to kill that many ninja's without showing emotion," Sasori said. "You're just like Pain now."

Kaya smiled. "Well he did teach me everything he knew."

Pain nodded. "You're nearly as strong as me now."

"_Nearly_?" Kaya exclaimed, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I could totally beat you these days."

"Yeah right!" Pain smiled.

Kaya tilted her head and shrugged. "Okay, I didn't want to have to do this."

Kaya ran right into Pain and knocked him over, laughing.

"That's it!" Pain said with a smile. "Now you're gonna get it."

Kaya shook her head. "You can't catch me!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"We'll see about that."

Kaya turned away from Pain and bolted, laughing over her shoulder. "Try and catch me if you can!"

Pain shook his head and ran after her, leaving the other Akatsuki members laughing. Pain had really changed since Kaya joined them. He became less tense and he laughed a lot more. Kaya always found a way to make him, and the rest of the Akatsuki, laugh.

Pain ran through the trees and stopped at a small clearing, looking around for Kaya.

There was a rustle in the bushes and a blur ran out, running in circles around Pain, faster than he could see.

Suddenly, he was knocked down onto his back and Kaya sat on his stomach. "I told you that you couldn't catch me," she smiled.

Pain laughed. "Yeah, okay. Now let me up!"

Kaya shrugged and got off of him, turning her back with a smile and leaving him to help himself up. Arms wrapped around her stomach and she was picked up off the ground.

"I caught you," Pain murmured.

"Damn," Kaya grumbled and started kicking her legs everywhere. "Put me down!!!"

Pain shrugged and put her down. "Let's get back to the others."

"Race ya?"

"You're too fast, remember?" Pain said.

Kaya shrugged. "I'll slow down."

Pain nodded. "Okay then."

Kaya smiled and they raced out of the trees back to the rest of the Akatsuki.

"Excellent, I think you're finally ready for this mission."

All nine ninja looked up and nodded.

"You know what to do. You must bring her back."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Katana said and looked at the others. They looked back at her with determination in their eyes. "We will bring her back."

The Hokage nodded. "Go now."

The nine ninja got up and ran off, Katana at the lead with Sasuke and Naruto by her side.

"We have to succeed," Katana said.

"We will," Kiba said, smiling. "And we'll make sure of it."

Katana nodded.

"But Katana?"

"Yes, Kiba?"

"Be careful, alright?"

Katana nodded to him with a smile.

"Let's just do this and get her back," Naruto said.

"OW!!!!!"

"Keep still would ya!?" Sasori growled. "It's not my fault you fell into one of those giant thorn bushes."

"It's not mine either!" Kaya complained. "Now just get this thing out of my shoulder!"

"Hold on," Sasori said and turned to look at Pain who was just coming back from lookout duty.

"What did she do this time?" Pain asked with a sigh, looking at the huge thorn in the back of Kaya's right shoulder.

"She fell into the giant thorn bush near the lake of the first and second Hokage's," Deidara said.

"It wasn't my fault!" Kaya grumbled.

"Well you're the one that fell in," Deidara laughed.

Kaya poked her tongue out at him. "I wasn't watching where I put my feet!"

"Meaning it was your fault."

"You're so lucky I can't move my arm right now," Kaya growled with an evil smile.

"Just stay still so I can get this thorn out!" Sasori said, making Kaya sit properly without having to look at Deidara.

"Fine," Kaya mumbled.

Sasori sighed and took the thorn in his hand.

"Careful she doesn't turn on you, Sasori," Pain smiled.

"What!?"

"It's not the first time she's fallen in that thorn bush," Pain replied. "Last time Hidan had to take it out of her arm and she punched him in the face."

Sasori gulped. "Kaya, don't hit me."

"I'll try not to," Kaya said. "Just get the thorn out!"

"Okay," Sasori took a deep breath and pulled at the thorn. It ripped out of Kaya's shoulder and after a short yell of pain, she swung her arm back and Sasori ducked his head just in time to avoid her arm that hit the cave wall behind him.

"That.... hurt!" Kaya growled.

"Well of course it did!" Sasori said.

Kaya pulled her arm out of the cave wall. "Damn it all!"

"Now I have to bandage her shoulder up," Konan said, waling over to them. "You guys out!"

Sasori got up and followed Deidara and Pain out of the waterfall cave.

"Now, where did I put the bandages?" Konan asked herself and went to the chest of things they had. She opened it and went through it. "Here they are!"

Konan walked back over to Kaya. "This'll hurt more than last time so don't swing at me."

"I won't," Kaya said. "I only swing at the guys because it's funny to see them get scared."

Konan smiled and sat down beside Kaya. Kaya took her cloak off and pulled her shirt down a little so that Konan could bandage up her shoulder. "You know, your Kekegenki was very strong yesterday. I've never seen is that powerful before."

"Kekegenki?" Kaya echoed, wincing in pain.

"A unique blood-line ability that only runs through the veins of a certain Clan. Your Lightning Flame is one that no one can simply learn, they have to be part of your Clan to learn it."

When Konan bandaged up Kaya's shoulder, Kaya pulled her shirt back up and put her cloak back on before going outside.

"How's your shoulder?"

Kaya looked over to a large rock about ten meters from the waterfall cave, Deidara was sitting on it.

"A bit," she replied, walking over and sitting next to him. "But now I can get you back for saying it was my fault in the first place."

Deidara tensed up and Kaya laughed. "Only kidding."

Deidara relaxed and Kaya jumped to her feet. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Where to?"

"The lake of the first and second Hokage's," Kaya replied. "And no I won't fall in the thorn bush again."

"I'll come with you," Deidara smiled. "Just in case."

Kaya shrugged.

"Can I come to?"

Kaya looked at Konan. "Sure."

Konan and Deidara followed Kaya away from the waterfall cave and into the forest.

"So why are we going to the lake of the first and second Hokage's anyway?" Deidara asked Kaya.

"Because...." Kaya smiled.

"Because why?" Konan asked.

"Because there's a giant pretty waterfall and you would stop me and Pain would get mad at me if I told you what I'm planning to do."

"You're not planning to jump off the waterfall are you?" Deidara exclaimed.

"Damn! You figured it out already," Kaya mumbled. "Well that sucks."

"Oh no you don't!" Deidara growled and grabbed her. "You're not jumping off of that waterfall!"

"Why not?!" Kaya complained, trying to get free.

"Because Pain would kill us for letting you do it and then kill you for doing it!"

Kaya grumbled but had an idea. "OW! Would you tell your hands to stop biting me already! It hurts!"

Deidara quickly let her got but Kaya laughed and bolted off.

"Kaya!" Deidara called but sighed. "Konan, go get Pain while I try and catch her."

Konan nodded and took off. Deidara made a giant bird out of clay and he jumped on its back. The bird flew into the air and went after Kaya. Deidara knew he wouldn't catch Kaya on foot. She inherited the lightning fast speed of the Haruta Clan and now she was super fast when she wanted to be.

Kaya ran as fast as she could, laughing the whole time because she managed to trick Deidara again. She ran through the trees and looked over her shoulder, she saw a giant white bird in the sky and Deidara was standing on its back.

"Damn it!" Kaya mumbled.

"Kaya, don't even think of jumping over that waterfall!" Deidara called, making his bird go to the ground. "Pain is going to kill you!"

Kaya shrugged. "He won't!"

Deidara shook his head. Kaya ran forward and skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff at the lake. She walked to the water and focused her Chakra and sent it to her feet.

"Kaya!" Deidara growled with a serious warning tone. "Don't do it!"

Kaya ignored him and walked across the water over to the waterfall.

"Kaya! What the hell are you doing!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Kaya looked to the shore and gave a guilty smile to Pain. "I want to jump off the waterfall."

"That's suicide!" Pain growled. "Get back over here!"

"But........" Kaya sighed. "Okay."

"Kaya what are you doing?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Kaya jumped and her feet slid from under her. "AAAHHHH!" she yelled as she fell off the top of the waterfall.

Down, down, down Kaya fell until she was grabbed and carried to safety in someone's arms. She looked up at her rescuer, her had a blue shirt, white pants, bandages on his legs, arm warmer-things on his arms and a Leaf Village bandanna. He looked a bit like Itachi. He reached the other side of the lake and put her down on the ground, all his friends were there to, and Kaya felt really uncomfortable.

"Kaya, what were you thinking?!?!" the boy growled, crouching down to look at her.

"Do I know you?" Kaya asked. "And how do you know my name?"

"Kaya!"

The boy and his friends tensed up when Pain, Konan and Deidara came running across the water.

Pain looked at the boy and the he stood up and faced him.

Pain put a hand out for Kaya and she took it. He helped her up. "Are you alright?" he asked, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kaya replied. "I slipped that's all. I'm glad this boy saved me though. But who is he?"

"How can you not remember him?" another boy with orange hair said.

"I don't know you either," Kaya blinked.

"Do you remember _any_ of us?" a girl with black hair and blue streaks asked.

Kaya shook her head. "Who are you?"

"Come on, Kaya. Let's go. We shouldn't waste time with these people," Pain said.

"But I don't know them and they seem to know me," Kaya replied. "I want to know who they are."

Kaya left Pain and walked over to the strangers. "Tell me. Who are you people?"

"Kaya," the first boy said and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's me. Sasuke."

Kaya looked at him and blinked. "Am I supposed to remember you?"

The Sasuke boy looked stunned and the orange-haired boy growled at Pain. "What have you done to Kaya!? Did you erase her memory or something!?"

"No," Pain replied.

A girl with pink hair walked over. "Kaya, I'm Sakura, don't you remember?"

Kaya shook her head and backed away from the Sasuke kid.

"Kaya, do you remember the Leaf Village?" another boy asked, he had a puppy on his head.

"A little," Kaya said. "All I know is that I used to live there but I left and joined the Akatsuki for some reason. That's all."

The black-haired girl with blue streaks clenched her fists. "You don't remember your friends!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

"I don't even know you!" Kaya bit back. "So don't get mad at me it!!"

"Kaya, let's go," Pain said.

"Yeah, okay," Kaya said and turned to follow the Akatsuki leader.

"That's it!"

Kaya was grabbed by the shoulder, spun around and was punched in the face by the girl with the blue and black hair.

Kaya sat up. "What the hell was that for?!?!"

"To try and knock some sense into you!" the girl growled. "Don't you remember me at least!? Your old friend, Katana!"

Kaya stood up and walked over to her.

"Do you remember now?" Katana asked in a quiet voice.

Kaya blinked. "No." Kaya punched Katana in the face and sent her flying into the Sakura girl.

Katana sat up, a red mark on her left cheek. "I'm gonna beat you senseless!!!!!!"

"Try it," Kaya said. "There isn't a single ninja that can defeat me. What makes _you_ think you can?"

"No ninja can defeat you?" Sasuke echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Yesterday I defeated a whole army of ninja by myself," Kaya smiled. "With one single attack."

"One single attack?!?!" Sakura exclaimed. "How did you get that strong!?!?!"

"My sensei," Kaya said and looked over to Pain. "Pain taught me everything he knows."

"Pain," Katana growled under his breath and clenched her fists. She ran at Pain.

Kaya stood in front of Pain and Katana stopped, her face an inch from Kaya's.

"If you're going to fight anyone," Kaya hissed under her breath. "It'll be me."

Katana glared at Kaya. "How many times are you going to protect the guy who destroyed your Clan?"

"What?" Kaya asked. "He didn't do anything like that!"

"Yes he did," Katana growled. "Him and the rest of the Akatsuki destroyed your Clan and murdered your parents when you were five years old!"

Something stirred in Kaya's mind but she shook her head. "No."

Katana blinked.

"No! I won't believe that!" Kaya growled and punched Katana away.

Katana sat up and Kaya ran at her. She stood up and blocked Kaya's fist, but not the second one. Katana was punched in the stomach and sent flying into the water.

Kaya ran onto the water and stopped, waiting for Katana to get up. She heard noises behind her and saw the Sasuke boy running at Pain. Pain blocked the attack and he said something to Deidara.

Deidara nodded and made another clay bird using his Chakra. He got on it and it flew away towards the direction of the waterfall cave.

Kaya sensed movement and ducked her head just in time to avoid a direct punch. She put her hands on the ground and lifted herself up, kicking Katana in the stomach and sending her closer to the waterfall.

Kaya looked over to Pain who was fighting Sasuke and she quickly made ten different hand-signs. "I'm gonna end this quickly," she said. "Lightning Flame!"

A blue ball of Chakra formed in Kaya's hand and lightning flowed around it.

"Two can play at that game!" Katana smiled and made various hand-signs. "Armato Sumorata!"

And aqua-blue-green ball of Chakra was in Katana's hands.

Kaya smiled. _Good luck defeating me_! She thought and ran at her.

Katana ran at Kaya. They both threw their arms forward and their attacks collided. Kaya felt the strength of Katana's attack and she used all her muscles to push her Lightning Flame forward, passed Katana's Chakra.

"I will beat you, Kaya," Katana said, trying to push her Chakra forward.

"Think again," Kaya smiled and pushed her Lightning Flame forward, hitting Katana and sending her flying away. _She's finished_.

Kaya turned and saw Konan struggling to fight the orange-haired boy and the boy with the puppy.

She bolted over, racing across the water at lightning fast speed. Just as the two boys were about to punch Konan, Kaya appeared in between them, crouched down. She lifted her body up on her hands and kicked the boy with the orange-hair. Then when the boy with the puppy tried to move around her to hit Konan, Kaya did a few spins and go in his way, glaring at him with her piercing blue eyes.

She punched him in the gut and sent him flying.

"Thanks," Konan breathed. Kaya turned to her and nodded.

Suddenly, Kaya say the rest of the Akatsuki, Deidara, Zetsu, Kisame, Itachi, Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan and Tobi.

She smiled and the rest of Katana's friends had their hands full fighting them. Pain was attacked by the orange-haired kid, Sasuke went for Itachi.

"Kaya!"

Kaya turned her head and saw Katana standing up on the water.

_What!?!?!?! I thought I killed her_!!!!! She thought. _My Lightning Flame never fails to kill my opponents!!!!! Oh well, I'll just have to take care of her_.

Kaya ran across the water and punched Katana in the face.

"I'm going to finish you!" Kaya growled.

"How can you say that!?" Katana growled back. "Don't you have any heart!?!?!"

"Pain taught me that I have to have no feelings when it comes to taking down my opponents. I care nothing for those I fight and kill," Kaya said.

"You're not the Kaya I once knew!" Katana said as she blocked punches from Kaya but got punched in the gut. "You used to be such a troublemaker at the Academy. You used to pull pranks on Ebisu-sensei... and most of all........."

Kaya punched Katana in the face and sent her flying away. She ran to catch up with her.

"You had a heart," Katana finished, looking up at Kaya.

Something stirred in Kaya's mind again. _What are these_?!?!?! she thought, growling. _Why am I having some sort of visions_!?!?!?!

Kaya put her hands on her head and tried to shake away the visions that were creeping into her mind. She saw herself, in a classroom with other people around. She was sitting next to the Sasuke kid and that Sakura girl was on his other side, standing up and challenging her. Kaya stood up and in moments they had begun a fight.

Kaya blinked and threw her fist down and punched Katana in the stomach, sending her under the water.

She stood up and looked down into the water. Katana was making hand-signs. She quickly jumped out of the way as the water formed a dragon and it rose up, its red eyes shining.

Kaya blinked and suddenly she had another vision. She was at this same place, and she was younger, Katana was there to. Katana had used this Jutsu. Kaya used her Lightning Flame against it.

Kaya shook her head and watched Katana get out of the water and pull herself to her feet again.

"Kaya," Katana said. "Don't you remember how your Clan was destroyed?"

Kaya shook her head. "Pain never told me. I don't remember a thing."

"Do you know _why_ he never told you?" Katana said.

Kaya shook her head again.

"It's because him and the rest of the Akatsuki did it," Katana growled. "They killed your friends and family, they killed your parents!!!!!!"

Kaya closed her eyes and tried to shut out the sudden voices.

She reached her home and came to the front door, but she stopped when she heard voices.

"Where is she?!" she heard Itachi's voice. He sounded angry, yet his tone was flat almost as if he didn't care.

"Who?!" Kaya heard her mother whimper.

"You know 'who'," the his voice said again. "Tell us where we can find the demon child."

"She's not a demon!" Kaya's father growled. "She's an ordinary girl."

"If you say so," Pain's voice growled, he actually sounded fiercely angry. "But tell us where she is and we might spare your lives."

Kaya nearly froze with shock.

She peered through the door and saw her mother and father cowering under a man wearing a black robe with a red symbol all over it. He had orange hair and his face was hidden in the shadows. It was Pain.

She noticed Tobi look over his shoulder to the door and she hid, hoping he didn't see her.

"Tell us where to find the girl!" Pain growled.

"She's in the forest training!" Kaya's mother cried out.

"Thank you," he replied. "Kisame, finish them."

Kaya peered through the door again and saw a guy wearing the same robes as the orange-haired guy, he lifted a sword like thing that was wrapped with bandages. It was Kisame.

"You said you would spare us!" Kaya's father said.

"Sorry, deals expire all the time," Pain smiled and Kisame swung down his sword and Kaya saw blood rise up from the throats of her parents and hit the floor. A few drops escaped through the door and hit Kaya's cheek. She gave a small yelp but shut her mouth quickly.

"Ah, it seems the girl has come to us," came Itachi's voice and all ten of the Akatsuki walked to the door.

Kaya stepped backwards but tripped over on a stone and fell to the ground. The door opened and the people stepped out.

She shook her head. _That can't be what happened_!?!?! She thought. _They couldn't have done it! Could they_?

"It was them, Kaya," Katana said. "They destroyed your Clan. I remember two years ago when you were at the Leaf Village, you kept saying you were going to kill every member of the Akatsuki because of what they did to your Clan! Did you really mean that? Or was that just empty words so you could make everybody believe you and make you look tougher?"

Kaya growled and looked back at the others. The Akatsuki was fighting with Katana's friends. She looked at Itachi and Sasuke, they looked alike.

She suddenly pictured herself in a hospital room. The Third Hokage, a Jonin ninja, the orange-haired kid, Sasuke, Sakura and Katana were there.

Sasuke looked at her. "Fine, I'll tell you."

The Hokage nodded. "The rest of you come, leave these two to talk."

Kaya waited until the room was cleared out. "So..?"

"Itachi has the Sharingan because he was part of the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke said. "He destroyed our Clan, because he wanted to test his power. After that, he joined the Akatsuki."

"Okay, now to my first question," Kaya said. "Why is it that you both look the same?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked out the window. "He is my brother."

Kaya's eyes widened and she blinked at Sasuke and Itachi. They were brothers!

She looked back at Katana. "K-Katana?"

Katana relaxed, but her Water Dragon stayed up. "Do you remember now?"

Kaya was about to reply.

"SASUKE WATCH OUT!!!!!!!!!"


	14. Chapter 14

Kaya turned her head and saw Pain holding a whole bunch of shuriken.

Itachi jumped away from Sasuke and Pain threw the shuriken straight for him.

_Sasuke_!

Sasuke put his arms up to protect his face.

"Aahh!!!"

Everyone stood rigid, absolutely shocked. Pain blinked. She was a blur, but she was so fast.

Sasuke moved his arms away and gasped. "K-Kaya!"

Kaya was standing in front of Sasuke, her arms out, her head down, hiding her face. Shuriken was stabbed into her whole body, her legs, her arms, her stomach and her shoulders.

"Kaya?! What?! Why?!" Pain exclaimed.

Kaya didn't lift her head up, she was breathing hard, and her voice was full of pain and anger it was almost choked. "Because I remember."

Pain took a step backwards.

"It was you all along and I forgot," Kaya growled. "You trained me to kill without mercy. You taught me everything you knew. You did all that so that I could forget. I forgot. I forgot and I was forced to attack my friends."

Pain and the other Akatsuki members exchanged glances. Katana came running over to check Sasuke.

"It was you," Kaya growled and a small wind blew. "It was you this whole time!!!!!!!!!"

Suddenly, orange and black smoke appeared and swirled around Kaya's body, tearing across the ground. She looked up and her eyes were red, and they made her look extremely scary. "You destroyed my Clan," she snarled. Her voice was different, stronger, and she sounded purely evil. "And you tried to kill my friends! You're gonna pay for that you BASTARD!!!!!!!!"

"Kaya, calm down," Pain said.

Kaya grabbed her cloak and tore it off, forcing the shuriken out of her body as well. Blood was all over her and she felt more strength in her body than she ever did. It was because of the Triple-Tailed Tiger.

"I'M GONNA _KILL_ YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kaya ran at Pain and he got ready to fight. "Have it your way!" he growled.

She came at him with lightning speed and punched him in the gut, sending him flying into the water.

He got up and stood on the water. Kaya ran out to greet him, her fists clenched and her teeth bared.

Pain made hand-signs but before he could do anything, Kaya went to punch him. He broke his Jutsu and blocked her attack. She did a middle kick and got him in the gut.

She ran over to him and jumped up, doing a back-flip and kicking him in the back even before he could hit the ground. He was thrown higher into the air and Kaya jumped up to join him.

She threw a punch at him and he blocked it. He threw a punch back but she blocked it. It went on and on, just like when Pain was training Kaya.

Kaya went to punch him but he grabbed her fist to block it. She grabbed his arm with her other hand and did a few spins in the air before throwing him over the waterfall.

She landed on the water and watched him fall down into the mist of the water at the bottom.

She narrowed her eyes and waited.

She sensed movement and she pulled out a kunai, turning around and blocking Pain's own kunai.

They fought with their kunai's and Kaya jumped back, putting the kunai away. She dropped down to her hands and feet and she looked like she was an animal. The black and orange Chakra was all over her and it made her look like she had ears and three tails. Her nails grew into claws and her canine teeth became fangs.

Pain made some hand-signs. "Fire style, Fireball Jutsu!"

The fire came out of his mouth and flew at Kaya. In one tenth of the time it took to blink, Kaya jumped out of the way and was standing right behind him.

"Isn't it funny how easily you turn against me, sensei?" she laughed a little, her voice still sounding strong and evil. "I remember everything clearly now. And now I know..."

"Know what?"

"That bear, two years ago. You created it and sent it to the village, knowing that I would fight it. Knowing that the village would turn against me for standing and fighting beside you and the rest of the Akatsuki. You tricked me into joining you. It was all just a set-up. You only wanted me for my powers so that the Akatsuki could never be beaten. You cared nothing for me. You're a deceitful bastard, you know that?"

Pain gripped his kunai and spun around to attack her but she jumped back faster than he could see and she was on her hands and feet a few meters away, crouched down like a tiger stalking its prey.

"You're wrong, Kaya," Pain said. "I did care about you. When you were smashing those rocks and punching down those trees the night you joined us, I was worried that you would seriously hurt yourself, and so I put the bandages on your bleeding knuckles. After you fought the bear, I could have left you for Kakashi and the others to find but I took you to them so that you could go to the hospital and get treated."

Kaya shook her head. "None of that matters now! Because I'm gonna end your life and go back with my _real_ friends to the Leaf Village!"

Pain's eyes widened. "But you're with the Akatsuki now. You said you'd always be with us!"

"Sorry, deals expire all the time. Isn't that what you said to my father after you promised to spare my parents' lives?" Kaya smiled evilly. Pain looked just a little bit scared. "Sorry, Pain. But my days with the Akatsuki are OVER!!!!!"

Kaya ran at Pain on her hands and feet. Pain moved out of the way and grabbed her, picking her up and throwing her towards the statue of the first Hokage. She hit the rock and fell down to a ledge. Half of her body was in the water.

Pain walked over and looked down at her.

She looked up at him, her eyes were shining blue, her nails were short again and her fangs were once again just canine teeth. She was breathing heavily, covered in blood, and the blood was turning the water red as it ran down the waterfall.

Pain picked her up by the neck and pushed her against the stone, putting a heap of pressure on her throat.

"Pain, what do you want us to do to these kids?" Hidan asked, the Akatsuki were in a line, facing Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Katana, Tamori, Sora, Hinata, Kiba and Shino.

"Kill them," Pain said, smiling evilly as he looked at Kaya. "Sorry kid, but you're gonna die right here, after you watch your friends die."

Kaya grabbed his hands and tried to push them away, trying to breathe. She watched as the Akatsuki faced her friends. It was an even match, but her friends weren't as strong as the Akatsuki.

"You know, kid," Pain said. "You can still stay with the Akatsuki. Because your friends are going to die either way."

"No..... they.... won't!" Kaya growled and she pushed Pain's hand away from her neck. "I'll.... protect them with my life!!"

Kaya shouldered Pain out of the way and ran towards her friends, who were all in a tight group, but because she was so exhausted she couldn't run as fast. She made a few different hand-signs.

The Akatsuki members got out shuriken and kunai's and got ready to throw them. Kaya ignored her pain and forced her body to move faster.

The weapons were thrown and Kaya cringed. The weapons stabbed into her as she got there just in time to stand in the way. Her body shook and she coughed up blood.

"Kaya!" Sasori exclaimed.

"I'll.............." Kaya's body shook more violently and a ball of blue flaming Chakra formed in her hand, electricity flowing around it. "I'LL DIE BEFORE I LET YOU KILL THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The ball of Chakra became a darker blue. Her power was getting stronger and stronger.

Pain ran over and joined his comrades. "Get them," he said. "Let none of them survive."

All the Akatsuki members ran towards Kaya and her friends.

Kaya growled and pulled her arm back a little.

When they were less than two meters away, she threw her arm forward and her power grew so big that it hit every single Akatsuki member.

They were thrown back and Kaya watched the blue flames burn the bodies of the Akatsuki.

Kaya dropped her arm down and slowly stumbled over to Pain.

Katana went to follow her but Sasuke put out a hand and stopped her.

Kaya came to Pain and she fell to her knees. He turned his head to look at her. His eyes were not filled with anger or hatred, but sadness.

"I.... swore.... to avenge my Clan," Kaya murmured and tears threatened to form. "I know... that it won't bring them back and.... I didn't want to do this...... but you..... gave me no.... choice."

Pain smiled and used up the rest of his strength to place a hand upon her cheek. "You did well, kid," he said. "And...... I'm sorry."

Kaya felt tears running down her face and Pain closed his eyes. His hand fell from her cheek and his chest slowly rose and fell as his breaths became more shallow, then he stopped breathing altogether. He was dead.

Kaya shook her head and her tears scattered everywhere. "Pain," she whispered. "Thank you for everything." She untied her bandanna and took it off. She put it in his hand and she saw one single tear roll down Pain's face.

Sasuke walked over to Kaya and crouched beside her. "Come on, Kaya. Let's take you home again," he said softly.

Kaya looked at him, her face wet with tears and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him and she cried even more.

"The other Akatsuki members are dead as well," he said and hugged her in return. "You avenged my Clan to. Thank you, Kaya."

"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to avenge my Clan," Kaya murmured. "But... now that I have.... I never knew it would hurt this much........."

Sasuke felt sorry for her. She had been with the Akatsuki for two years and developed a strong bond with them. It wasn't a surprise that she would feel so bad.

Sasuke picked her up and put her on his back before walking back to the others.

No one said anything to Kaya, they didn't want to make things worse than it was.

"Sasuke....."

"Yeah?"

"Promise me something..."

"What is it?"

"Promise me.... that I will never lose you like I lost Pain and the others...."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at her and nodded solemnly. "I promise, Kaya."

"Thank you, Sasuke.." Kaya murmured and closed her eyes, falling asleep on his back.

Katana looked at Kaya, her eyes full of sympathy. Kiba put an arm around her and she hugged him.

"Come on, let's go," Naruto said. "Kaya needs to go to the hospital. She's covered in blood and she's exhausted."

"I wonder how she got to us in time and was able to use her Lightning Flame," Sakura sighed and everybody started walking back to the Leaf Village.

Kaya's eyes slowly opened and she looked around the room she was in.

She was lying in a white bed and she slowly sat up, despite her small amounts of pain. She stood up and slowly walked to the window. She supported herself by putting her hands down on the window sill and she looked out into the village.

_Two years have passed_, she thought. _But whatever the villagers think of me now, I will have to live with it. This is my home again. And it always will be_.

The was a knock at the door and a nurse came in with Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi.

"Kaya, you shouldn't be up," the nurse fretted.

"It's okay," Kaya murmured. "I'm fine now."

The nurse sighed and left the room.

Kaya looked at Kakashi. "I'm sorry, Kakashi."

Kakashi walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It was a mistake. You're back with us now."

"Pain tricked me," Kaya said and looked out the window again. "With the bear, with everything. He tricked me so that the Akatsuki could never be beaten. He trained me to be a merciless killer."

"It's over now."

Kaya nodded but her whole body started shaking. "But.... I killed them..."

"You avenged your Clan," Sakura said.

"Yes, but..... I was with the Akatsuki for two years. I got to know every single one of them. They were my friends, they were like my family.... and I killed them to protect my friends.... I wish it could have been different."

Kaya fell to her knees, one hand still on the window sill.

"Kaya!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Kaya had her head down and her whole body was shaking violently. Then, she started crying. She gripped her shirt above her heart and her tears fell to the floor.

Sasuke crouched beside her. "Kaya, it's alright."

Kaya took a deep breath and looked at him. "Sasuke... I bet you didn't know this but..... before I killed the Akatsuki, there was three remaining Uchiha's."

"Three!?" everyone exclaimed.

"Who was the third?" Sasuke asked.

"Tobi," Kaya said. "But his real name was Madara Uchiha."

"Madara...." Sasuke looked at the ground. "So that's what happened to him. He followed Itachi to the Akatsuki."

"He didn't even look like he belonged with the Akatsuki," Kaya looked at the ground, remembering when she first saw his face beyond the mask. "He looked so kind and gentle, he didn't look like a killer. But he had the eyes of Sharingan. His face was pale and his hair was jet black. He was the kindest of all of them."

Sasuke nodded. "He was my best friend when my Clan was still alive."

There was silence for a few moments, but Kakashi broke it. "Kaya, are you able to walk?"

"Well I got to the window sill didn't I?" Kaya teased.

Kakashi smiled. "Okay, come on then. The Hokage wishes to see you."

Kaya got up with Sasuke's help and she slowly followed her friends out of the hospital and out into the village.

Kaya passed many villagers, but none of them glared at her or whispered to one another rudely. Their eyes were full of sympathy.

"Welcome back, Kaya," one of the villagers said.

"Hope you're feeling better," another villager said.

Kaya was quite surprised, all the villagers were welcoming to her. But when she left they hated her.

"Kaya!!!!!!"

Kaya turned just in time to see Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. Ino hugged her tightly. "It's so good to see you again."

"Ino! That... hurts!" Kaya said.

"Oh.. sorry!!!!" Ino gasped and stood back.

"There will be time for talk later," Kakashi said. "Kaya, come on."

Kaya nodded and followed Kakashi and the others through the village and over to the Hokage's building.

Kaya saw the Hokage on the steps just outside his building. She stopped right in front of him. "Lord Hokage," she addressed him and dropped to one knee, her head down.

"Kaya," the Hokage nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Kaya replied. "I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused."

The Hokage was silent for a few moments that sent Kaya's heart racing. Was he going to turn her away and send her out of the village?

"You are forgiven," the Hokage smiled and took something from behind his back.

Kaya lifted her head up and looked at it.

"Your old one was scratched, was it not?"

"Yes," Kaya replied and the Hokage gave her a new bandanna with the village symbol.

"You can go now, Kaya."

Kaya nodded and put her new bandanna on her forehead.

"See you back at the hospital," Sasuke said.

Kaya smiled and walked off.

"Kaya, there are people here to see you."

The nurse walked in and dropped her clip board. "Kaya!? Oh where has she gone!?!?!"

Sasuke and the others walked in. Looking around.

"Why does she always disappear?" Sakura complained. "She could be anywhere!"

"I'll go tell the Hokage," Kakashi said.

"No need."

Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked out the window and smiled. "I know where she is."

Kaya looked up at the clouds in the blue sky, she was sitting on the dock by the lake. She had a smile on her face. Mostly because she knew that she'd be in trouble for not being back at the hospital. And also because she was back to being herself, sneaking off, making everyone worry.

_Thank you, Akatsuki_, she thought. _For two years I was one of you, and I got to know you all. Zetsu, you scared me a few times because you always popped out of the ground. Itachi, you thought of me as a brat at the start, but you were always there to help me. Deidara, we always had silly arguments and I always won. Sasori, you trained me at night when I was here before I joined you all. Hidan, I punched you in the face when you pulled a giant thorn out of my arm, but you didn't get angry at me. Kakuzu, you were the one I knew the least, but you still helped me. Tobi, or Madara, you were the kindest of the Akatsuki, you were the person I could confide in the most when I was sad or just plain bored. Kisame, you tried teaching me water Jutsu's but I could never get it right so I pushed you in the water instead. Konan, you thought of me as a younger sister. And Pain......... you were my sensei, you taught me everything you knew and because of you, I am stronger than I ever was. You were also my friend. You were always there for me no matter what, you always helped me. Like the time I was running off on Hidan and I accidentally fell off the giant cliff. You went out of your way to save me. I will never forget you guys._

"Kaya?"

Kaya looked over her shoulder at Sasuke, he had something behind his back.

"What're you hiding?" Kaya asked him.

"Close your eyes," he smiled.

Kaya sighed and did as she was told.

"Put your arms out."

Kaya put her arms out and she felt some sort of material.

"Open your eyes."

Kaya opened her eyes and looked at what Sasuke had given her. "Naruto went and got it when we brought you back here, we thought you might like to keep it."

Kaya smiled and tears threatened to form but she had the strength to hold them back. In her arms was the cloak Konan gave to her when she first joined the Akatsuki. The black cloak with the red Akatsuki symbols on it. She looked up at Sasuke and smiled. "Thanks, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded but Kaya hugged him. He hugged her back. _And thank you, Akatsuki. For always being there for me to._


End file.
